Facade
by LilEmmie
Summary: Someone at SVU is not what they seem. Can the detectives figure out who it is before its too late? NOTE: This is my first fanfic. Please feel free to comment and please be gentle. Thanx and enjoy! Also follow me on Twitter! @EOisEmmiesJoy
1. Chapter 1

**Location: 16th Precinct**

"Where are you going in such a hurry?" Olivia Benson asked her partner Elliot Stabler.

"It's Kathy's birthday," Elliot replied, neatly stacking up his case files and clearing off his desk. "The kids and I are taking her out to dinner. And they're all at the house waiting on me. If I don't get there soon, they're gonna have my ass."

"And you're gonna stick me with the all the dirty work?" asked Olivia, referring to their recent case, in which four young girls, all late teens to early twenties, were raped and murdered, then dumped in various parts of the city. They had no leads and no DNA because the perp bathed his victims after killing them. Then he'd redress them and dump the bodies.

"Only for a few hours," Elliot smirked. "You'll be fine."

With that, Olivia went back to searching online for any leads and/or matching M.O.'s. Elliot watched her push a strand of hair out of her face. She was so beautiful. He sometimes wished he wasn't married, and wondered what life with Olivia would be like. He smiled.

"What?" Olivia looked up in time to catch him grinning. "Do I have something on my face?"

"What? Uh...no," Elliot stuttered, coming back to his senses. "Sorry, I just got distracted for a moment."

With that, he went back to cleaning off his desk. When she was sure Elliot wasn't looking, Olivia smiled back at him. She too, wished Elliot was single. She believed she was better for him than Kathy. Elliot was the only guy who knew everything about her, even things she wished she could forget, and he didn't shy away. And he was always there for her when she needed him. Olivia love how Elliot was so overprotective of her.

_Why doesn't he just spit it out already?_ She thought._ He's so cute when he's being slick._

Olivia snapped out of her trance when their captain, Donald Cragen entered the squad room.

"We got another victim," called Cragen. "And a lead. A witness at a twenty-four hour diner saw a figure in a dark blue or black pick up truck dump the body in a nearby alley. We got a partial license plate number. Olivia and Elliot, I need you two to process the scene and get statements." He walks over to John Munch and Odafin "Fin" Tutuola, and hands them a slip of paper with the make and model of the truck written on it. "Munch and Fin, I want you two to work this lead."

"But Capt," Elliot pleaded. "It's my wife's birthday-"

"Elliot I got you," interrupted Fin. He then turned to Munch. "Munch, will you be alright without me?"

"Yea, I'm good," Munch answered, sitting down to start the search.

"Thanks, Fin," said Elliot, as he grabbed his jacket and left the precinct.

**Location: Alley**

Olivia and Fin arrived at the crime scene to find medical examiner, Dr. Melinda Warner, examining the body, while CSU processed the scene.

"What do have for us?" Olivia asked, as she and Fin walked over to Melinda.

"Same results as the last four victims," Melinda responded. "Raped and strangled somewhere else, the perp bathed her and redressed her, then he dumped her body here." She scribbled something on her clipboard. "There are signs of vaginal trauma, but no fluids are present. Your perp used a condom."

"Did you finding anything that could lead us to the perp?" questioned Fin.

"Not that I can tell," she replied. "But I'll know more when I get her back to the lab. Maybe you'll have better luck with CSU. They're still processing the scene."

Fin and Olivia left Melinda to finish her work. Fin took a statement from a witness at the diner. Meanwhile, Olivia questioned CSU on their findings.

"We found two sets of fingerprints on her purse," said a CSU tech. "which was found near her body. We'll run them when we get back to the lab."

"Thanks," said Olivia. "Call my captain when you get results."

**Location: SVU Squad Room**

"Hey Munch," called Fin, as he and Olivia strolled into the squad room. It was late. And they both wanted to report their findings to Cragen and go home. "Did you get anything off the license plate?"

"Indeed," replied Munch. "I got two matches, one which was reported stolen three days before we found the first victim. Did you guys find anything at the latest crime scene?"

"Not much," Olivia answered. "CSU did find fingerprints, but we won't know anything until they run the prints. And Warner didn't find any obvious difference between this victim and the other four. But then again, we won't know more until she gets the body back to the lab."

"Well," continued Munch. "After I ran the plate number, I went back through each case file, and found something interesting." He paused a moment.

"Are you gonna tell us what it is?" demanded Fin. "Or are you gonna stand there with your thumb up your ass?

"Patience, my brother," Munch told him. "I reexamined the last moments of each of the victims and found that three of the four were last seen going to an voice-over audition. I haven't talked the fourth victims college roommate, because it's late. But I'll re-interview her tomorrow morning."

Where's Cragen?" asked Olivia. "In his office?"

As if on cue, walked out of his office and into the squad room.

"There's been an accident," he said, worried. "A neighbor just reported a fire at the Stabler residence."

"Oh my God! Elliot!" gasped Olivia, putting her coat back on and exiting the precinct.

"Fin, go with her," Cragen ordered. Fin ran after Olivia. "And keep me posted!"

**Location: Stabler Residence, Queens, NY. Earlier that evening.**

Elliot drove in silence as he left the city and headed to his home in Queens. Part of him wished he could have stayed at the precinct with Olivia. He was always free to be himself around her. She understood him in a way Kathy never would. Kathy always nagged at him, made him feel smothered. But the other part of him loved his family and wanted to spend as much time with them as possible. Elliot turned right onto his street, and then straight until he approached his house, where he slowly pulled into the driveway. He turned off the ignition. He was about to get out of the car when as his cell phone rang.

"Yea," he answered.

"Daddy, where are you?" begged Lizzie's voice on the other end. "We're all waiting for you. We're not getting any younger here."

"I just pulled up," he chuckled. "I just need to shower and change my clothes. Then we'll be on our way. I promise."

"Okay," she said, reluctantly. "But make it quick! Bye Daddy! Love you!"

"Love you too." he said and hung up the phone.

Elliot slipped his phone in his jacket pocket and got out of the car. He locked the doors and went to drop his keys in his other pocket, but missed. The keys hit the ground instead. He picked them up and placed them back in his pocket, then headed towards the house.

KABOOM! KABLAM!

The entire Stabler home exploded and burst into flames. Shattered glass and debris flew in every direction. The heat and force of the explosion was so powerful that it blew Elliot across the street and onto the neighbor's front lawn.

Elliot laid on the ground, his head spinning, body searing with pain, and gasping for breath. His ears buzzed as he stared in anguish at his home being consumed by a raging fire. All he could think about was his family trapped inside. How frightened they must be. He had to save them. Somehow. Someway. He rolled over and tried to stand up, but the excruciating pain shot through his entire body, causing him to cry out.

His neighbor, Ruth McAllister, came running out of her home to help.

"Elliot!" she called his name as she knelt down beside him. "Can you hear me? Elliot! Help is on the way!"

He could barely hear a word she said. The blast had burst his eardrums. But more importantly, he couldn't keep his eyes of his house engulfed in flames. He tried to get up, but once again the pain incapacitated him.

"Elliot, stop moving!" Mrs McAllister cried, trying to keep him still. "You may have serious injuries. You need to calm down!"

"My family..." Elliot started, gasping for breath. "My family... They're...in the...house..." His voice trailed off as everything faded to black.


	2. Chapter 2

**Thank you all for the wonderful comments on my first fanfic! You guys are awesome! Now here's Chapter 2. Enjoy!**

_Elliot laid on the ground, his head spinning, body searing with pain, and gasping for breath. His ears buzzed as he stared in anguish at his home being consumed by a raging fire. All he could think about was his family trapped inside. How frightened they must be. He had to save them. Somehow. Someway. He rolled over and tried to stand up, but the excruciating pain shot through his entire body, causing him to cry out._

_ His neighbor, Ruth McAllister, came running out of her home to help._

_ "Elliot!" she called his name as she knelt down beside him. "Can you hear me? Elliot! Help is on the way!"_

_ "No...," he cried. "My family... Gotta...save them!"_

_ "Elliot?" Her voice was different. It didn't sound like Mrs. McAllister. Yet it sounded it very familiar._

"Mmmm..." Elliot moaned. "Noooo..."

"Elliot?" the voice called again, softly. "El?"

"Is he waking up?" asked another familiar voice in a hushed tone.

"I think so," replied the first voice.

Elliot opened his eyes to find himself sitting in a hospital bed, machines attached to his arms and chest. Olivia sat in a chair next to him, holding his hand. Fin stood next to her.

"Hey man," said Fin. "How ya feeling?"

"Like shit," Elliot moaned. He inhaled deeply, which made his chest hurt. He tried to sit up, but the pain vibrated throughout his entire body, causing him to cry out.

"Easy, El," spoke Liv, softly, helping him lay back down. "The doctor said you've got a few broken ribs and some cuts and bruises, but you'll make a full recovery. You're lucky. You could've been killed."

Somehow, Elliot felt he was anything but lucky at the moment. Olivia took a wet cloth out of the bowl on the stand next to Elliot's and squeezed out some of the water. She then gently wiped the perspiration off of Elliot's face. Elliot closed his eyes, the coolness of the cloth felt good against his warm skin. He also noticed her other hand was still holding his.

"You were moaning and sweating in your sleep," she told him. "You were dreaming of the fire, weren't you?"

He nodded. "I tried to save them. But...I couldn't... Liv, ….I need to know. Where are they? Did they...? Are they...?"

It hurt to much to ask, but he had to know. Where was his family? Did they make it of the house? Somehow Olivia, knew what he was trying to ask. She and Fin exchanged looks, but didn't say a word. Fin, then, turned to leave.

"I'm gonna get some coffee," he said quietly. "Liv, you want some?"

"Sure," she answered. Once she was sure Fin had gone, Olivia turned to Elliot. She took a deep breath.

"El," she began, softly and as gently as possible, still holding his hand. "I'm so, so sorry. But they...didn't make it. They're...gone."

"No!" Elliot sobbed. "Noooo! Oh God! Why?"

"I don't know," she replied, cradling his head in her arms as he wept. "But we will find out. And we will find who did this and get justice for your family. Don't you worry."

Olivia wrapped her arms around Elliot and held him close. And she too, shed some tears for him and his family.

**Location: SVU Squad Room. One week later.**

Olivia sat at her desk, staring blankly at her computer screen. Their recent case had finally been solved. CSU got a match to the fingerprints. Then SVU followed the perp and caught him getting ready to abduct his sixth victim. Their latest case was the Stabler family fire. Even though it wasn't exactly a sex crime, Cragen fought hard to get this case assigned to SVU. If anyone was to catch this perp, it would be his team. Olivia was supposed to be hunting down leads with Fin and Munch, but she couldn't stop thinking about Elliot. The Stablers' funeral was three days ago, and Elliot was as distant as ever. Except for the hospital, he hadn't shed a single tear. He stared off into the distance during a beautiful eulogy delivered by Cragen. Olivia could see so much anger, and sadness, and guilt behind his eyes. She knew it all too well. For she had felt the same way when her mother had passed away. Olivia knew she had to get Elliot to open up before the pain ate him alive and he did something he would later seriously regret.

"You okay, Liv?" Munch asked.

"Huh?" Olivia looked around a little flustered. "Yea. I'm fine."

"How's Elliot?" he asked, reading her expressions. He sat down next to her. He knew how close she and Elliot are, and knew she was more worried about him than the rest of the unit.

"You were at the funeral too," she answered. "You saw him."

"I know," he said. "But I haven't seen or heard from Elliot since. Have you?"

"No," she said, clearing off her desk. "He's not answering his phone. Listen, would you mind if I left a little early?

"Go ahead," he responded. "Fin and I can take it from here."

"Thanks." said Olivia, as she threw on her jacket and left the precinct.

Munch got up and went back to his own desk across from Fin's desk. Fin was talking on his phone. Munch waited till he hung to speak.

"That was CSU," reported Fin. "The explosion was caused by a bomb in the basement. They're running the bomb signature now. Perp must've snuck in when no one was home, the snuck out the basement window and hopped the fence. There were footprints leading away from the window and fingerprints on the fence. CSU said there were no hits on the fingerprints. Perp must not be in the system."

"Or he just hasn't gotten caught," Munch added. He sighed and turned to his computer to search for leads. The squad room just didn't feel the same anymore. Both he and Fin knew that it would not feel the same until they got justice for Elliot's family.

"You worried about Elliot too?" asked Fin.

"Yea," replied Munch. "Poor guy must be in agony."

"I know," Fin said. "I can't imagine what he's going through."

"At least he has Liv to help him," Munch said, reassuringly. "And he has us."

Munch suddenly had a thought and looked up from his computer.

"You said there were footprints in the backyard?"

"Yea?"

"He couldn't have very far on foot," Munch began. "He had to have had a car. Also, you'd think he'd wanna watch his handy work. Did any witnesses report seeing anyone suspicious driving around or parked nearby?"

"Nah," Fin answered. "Why don't we re-interview them and find out."

**Location: Elliot's apartment.**

Elliot sat alone in the living room of the apartment his colleagues helped him to obtain. His physically wounds were healing. His emotional wounds, however, would need more time. He had buried his family three days earlier. He stared into nothingness, the deafening silence was almost too much to bear. He longed to be back home in Queens, listening to the sounds of his wife and kids running through the house. Kathy cooking and cleaning, and tending to Eli while he babbled away. Dickie playing ball in the backyard. Kathleen and Lizzie getting into petty arguments. And Maureen, his first born. Why didn't he get there sooner? Why did he always let his work take first priority over his family. He replayed in his mind Lizzie's last words.

_"Bye Daddy! Love you!"_

"Love you too, Lizzie," Elliot said aloud to the empty apartment. "I love you all. So much."

If only he knew those would be the last words, the last moments with his family. His mind flashed back to the funeral. Six caskets laid before him, Cragen delivering a beautiful eulogy, yet Elliot was still too stunned, too grief-stricken to hear a word. Olivia stood next to him, her hand on his shoulder, giving him a small sense of comfort. His mother was seated on the other side of him, holding his hand, her face tearstained and distraught.

Elliot was so lost in the memories that he almost hear the door bell ring. He opened it to find Olivia standing there.

"Hey," she said, sympathetically. "How are you doing?"

"Crappy," he couldn't lie to her. He led her to the living room. "Look, you don't have to babysit me. I'm sure you've got a shitload cases-"

"Stop that!" she interrupted him. "I'm here as your friend, not a babysitter. And besides, Fin and Munch are taking care of things at the squad room."

"I'm sorry," he apologized and sat down on the couch. "I'm just... I can't..."

"I know," Olivia sat down next to Elliot and put her around him. She and Elliot always had a way of knowing what the other was thinking and feeling. "Talk to me El. You can't keep it inside of you. Don't let it eat you up."

He knew she was right. If he was ever gonna get his life back on track so he could find the son of a bitch who murdered his family, he needed to talk. And Olivia was the only person he could really talk to.

"I don't know if I can do this," Elliot began. "How am I supposed to live without them? If only I had gotten there sooner. Maybe they'd still be alive. Why didn't I try harder to save them?"

"It's not your fault," she comforted him. "There was nothing you could've done. You can't keep blaming yourself."

Elliot stood up and paced back and forth across the living room. Olivia watched as his emotions went from grief-stricken and guilt-ridden to vengeful and infuriated.

"I want to find that motherfucker!" Elliot roared angrily. "And I want to _kill_ him!"

Elliot pounded the walls with his fists and began to weep. Olivia came up behind him and put one hand on his shoulder. He flinched at first. But when he realized it was her just trying to comfort him, he turned around and cried on her shoulder.

"I miss them all so much!" he sobbed.

"I know," Olivia whispered, stroking his hair ever so gently. "And it's okay. You'll get through this. It's gonna take some time, but you can do this. I know you can. And I'm here for you. That is, if you want me here."

Elliot lifted his head to look at Olivia. As he looked into her eyes, he realized she was all he had left. The only good thing he had left. He wanted to hold her and never let it go, for fear of losing her. But most of all, he wanted to feel good again. To feel something more than the pain and the agony that was eating him alive. He leaned in and gently kissed Olivia. Her soft lips tasted sweet like honey.

Olivia wrapped her arms around him as she kissed him back. It had been way too long since Olivia felt anything like this. She wanted to feel something more than the misery and loneliness stabbing away at her heart. She wanted to feel alive again.

"Wait," Olivia said, breathlessly, suddenly pulling away. "Elliot, should we really be doing this?" What was she doing? He had just lost his family. It's too soon for him. She couldn't do this. Could she? Should she?

Neither of them could take their eyes away from each other.

"I don't know," he replied, just as breathless.

**What do you guys think? Should they? Or shouldn't they? Stay tuned for Chapter 3. Coming soon!**


	3. Chapter 3

"I uh, I should go," said Olivia, flustered. "I'm sorry."

As much as she wanted to, she couldn't go through with it. Olivia cared way too much for Elliot to do this to him. She felt he needed more time to mourn for his family.

Elliot nodded. "You're right."

He knew in his heart that she was indeed right. It was too soon. He knew if he did, he may later regret it. He led her down the hall and to the door. He removed the latch, unlocked the door and opened it. Olivia started to leave, but paused a moment. She turned around and hugged Elliot.

"I'm still here for you if you need me," she smiled, kissing him on the cheek. "And I always will be. No matter what."

"I know," he smiled back, hugging her tightly.

"Goodbye, Elliot," she turned and walked away.

**Location: SVU Squad Room. Several Days Later.**

"Please tell me you got something," demanded Cragen. "Anything."

The squad had been working day and night, following every lead, searching for the person who murdered the Stabler family. All were exhausted, but none gave up hope. They were willing to search the ends of the earth if they had to.

"Fin and I re-canvassed the scene," Munch replied. "No one saw anyone suspicious or unusual vehicles on the days leading up to and including the day of the explosion. So we contacted CSU. And found on the ground by the fence where the fingerprints were, was a piece of torn blue and black flannel cloth, probably from a shirt, with blood on it. We're still waiting to hear from CSU if they were able to get DNA from it."

As if on cue, Melinda Warner entered the squad room with a file folder in her hands.

"Perfect timing," said Cragen. "Please tell me you have a match."

"Only a partial match," she answered.

"You came all this way for a partial match?" he asked, somehow already knowing there was another reason.

"It was urgent," Warner responded. "The match was to Lowell Harris."

The entire squad room came to a screeching halt. Just hearing his name made Olivia shudder. Flashbacks of Sealview entered her mind. Lowell pushing his body against hers, his hands groping her. The taste of his tongue in her mouth. Lowell cuffing her to the door, while Olivia begged him to let her go. He pulled down his pants, trying to orally sodomize her. At one point during the struggle she had punched him in the eye, then ran and hid behind a stack of crates. She closed eyes and prayed he wouldn't find her.

_"You wanna play hide and seek?" he taunted her in a menacing tone. "Okay. But __when __I find you, you're it!"_

_ He struck down some chairs and boxes with his nightstick, trying to scare Olivia out of hiding. But she wasn't there. He continued walking down a hallway searching through the dark basement. He knew there was no way she could escape. Olivia listened as his heavy footstep came closer. She held her breathe and shut her eyes tighter._

_ "The longer you make me wait," he taunted her again, beating his nightstick along a chain-linked wall, the noise which echoed throughout the basement. "The harder it will be."_

_ Lowell walked further down the hall, stopped right in front the crates where she was hiding, raised his arm and knocked down the top of the stack. Olivia ducked as the boxes flew over her head and behind her. When she looked up, Lowell was standing above her with an evil look in his eyes._

_ "Guess whose ass is mine now?" he grinned a sick and twisted grin, as he raised he nightstick to strike her._

"Liv?"

"Huh?"

Fin, Munch, Cragen, and Melinda stood over Olivia as she came to her senses. Her heart was racing and her chest felt as if it was going to explode. Her face was flushed and sweaty. She felt dizzy and lightheaded. Her breathing was shallow and shaky. She felt as though she would pass out.

"Are you okay," asked Cragen.

"I'm fine," said Olivia, catching her breath. "I just... I-I'm okay, really."

"It's okay, Olivia." Melinda sat down next to her. "Just breathe, and put your feet on the ground. There's no need to worry. Harris is in jail and can't hurt you."

"But you...you said there was a match," said Olivia, worriedly.

"A partial match," said Melinda, reassuringly. "A male relative. Could be a sibling, a cousin, an uncle, or father."

"Which is why you're gonna have a protective detail," informed Cragen. "If he's seeking revenge for Lowell, you can bet he'll be after you next."

"Not if I have anything to do with it," said a voice in the back of the room.

The squad turned their heads to see Elliot walking toward them.

"Elliot!" said Fin surprised. "You shouldn't be here."

"I know," said Elliot. He stared at the ground. "I just... I needed to..."

"I know what you want," Cragen said. "We're doing our best. How much did you hear?"

"Enough to know you got a lead," Elliot answered. "It's the best news I've heard in a while."

"Well, he may still be after you too," Cragen told him. "You're gonna have a protective detail too." He turned to Munch, Fin, and Olivia. "Munch and Fin, I want you to shake the Harris family tree and see what you can find. Olivia, I'm taking you off this case. Go home. And that's an order."

"Elliot, my office, now." Cragen commanded.

Elliot followed Cragen into his office and shut the door behind him.

Olivia decided not to argue with him and just leave. She was feeling rather unnerved and just wanted to go home and lay down. But she also wanted to make sure Elliot was okay. She knew he had to just as rattled as she was. She cleared off her desk and shut off her computer. She put on her jacket, just as the door of Cragen's office opened and Elliot stepped out. He started walking towards the elevator.

"Hey!" Olivia called out, running to him. "Wait up,!"

"Hey," he said, pushing the down button for the elevator.

"Everything okay?" she asked.

"It's getting there," he answered. "I'm coming back to work next week. That's what I was talking to Cragen about."

"Are you sure you're ready?" she asked, a little stunned.

"I can't stay home anymore," Elliot told her. "I need to work. I need something to do to keep me from going crazy. I need to get my life back."

"I felt the same way when my mom died," Olivia confessed.

"I remember," he said. "Do you miss her?"

The elevator doors opened and they both stepped inside.

"Yea," she sighed. "I do. Sometimes."

The elevator reached the main floor and the doors opened. Elliot and Olivia proceeded to exit the precinct.

"Do you want a ride home?" he offered.

"Sure," she accepted. "Thanks."

**Back in the squad room.**

"Munch!" Fin yelled from his desk. "Get your bony ass over here!"

Munch walked into the squad room with a newspaper under his arm.

"Find anything?" inquired Munch.

"Yea," responded Fin, showing Munch his findings. "According to Harris' files, he has no relatives. He's an only child whose parents died in a car crash ten years ago."

"No cousins or uncles?" asked Munch.

"None that I can find," Fin replied. "But I'll keep looking. Here's where it gets weird. His files only go back as far as the academy. There's nothing before."

"Maybe he's a spy," Munch suggested.

"Doubt it," Fin stopped him before he could go any further. He was in no mood to hear one of Munch's conspiracy theory. "He wouldn't be doing time if he was. I put my money on identity theft, or even witness protection."

"Is Warner still here?" Munch looked around the squad room.

"Yea," answered Fin. "She's talking to the captain."

Munch got up from his desk and knocked on Cragen's door.

"Come in," called Cragen.

Munch explained their findings to Warner and Cragen.

Cragen turned to Munch. "Identity theft would explain why we got no match to the fingerprints."

"True," agreed Warner. "I'll have the lab run the fingerprints and DNA through every database possible. If they match another alias, we may just have a lead. We have Harris' DNA from the Ashley Tyler case, but I'll have the lab run it too. I'll let you know what I find."

"Thanks," Cragen said. He turned to Munch. "I think its time you and Fin payed Lowell Harris a visit. I got a feeling he knows something."

**Location: Streets of NYC**

Elliot drove Olivia home in silence. He didn't exactly know what to say to her. Part of him kept thinking about the kiss from the other night. But more importantly, he saw how upset she became when she heard Harris' name. He wanted to be positively sure she was okay. Olivia, on the other hand, was staring out of the window. She watched the pedestrians, wondering if Harris' relative could be among them, watching her. And waiting for just the right moment to strike.

"Liv," he said calmly. "Are you okay?"

"No," she said, still gazing out the window. She knew what he was getting at, but she couldn't lie to him. "But I will be. Don't worry about it."

He turned her street and parked as close as he could to her apartment building. He turned off the ignition and faced Olivia. He could see the anxiety and tension in her eyes.

"Look at me," Elliot told her. "Liv, I need to know. What happened in Sealview?" Olivia looked down at her hands. She didn't realize until now how badly she was trembling. She had avoided this subject for so long. She put one hand on the door, but Elliot reached for her other hand, stopping her before she could escape.

"Liv, please," he begged. "You told me not to keep the pain inside, not to let it eat me up. As much as it hurt me to talk about it, I felt better in the end. Even though I still my Kathy and the kids like crazy. So now I'm asking you to follow your own advice. Talk to me. Please."

She looked into his pleading blue eyes, and knew he was right. She needed to tell him. Olivia sighed deeply, and began to tell him everything. She told him how Harris beat her and taunted her as he searched for her when she hid. How he groped her, touching every part of her body. How he tried to force his manhood into her mouth. How she cried and screamed for help, yet no one came to her rescue. How she begged and pleaded Harris to stop. But despite her efforts he continued to humiliate and torture her. How he threatened to kill her and blame her, claiming she was trying to escape. And she finally ended her story telling her how Fin came to save her just when she thought it was too late. Olivia sobbed as she finished her story. Elliot stared at her feeling so sorry, wishing he could have been there to save her. And at the same time he felt enraged and infuriated. If he ever saw Harris again, or if he ever came face to face with the perp who was after him and Liv. Elliot swore he would make their lives a living Hell to the day they die.

"You want me to walk you up?" he offered.

"Yes, please," she accepted, wiping her tears. "Thanks."

They both exited the car. Elliot over to her, noticed she was still sobbing and shaking, and put his arms around her.

"It's okay," he said, softly, cradling her. "I won't let him get you. I'm sorry I couldn't be there to save you then, but I'm here for you now."

"I know." Olivia closed her eyes and sighed in comfort as laid her head on Elliot's shoulder, her face pressed against his, feeling his warm against hers. She always felt truly safe and at ease whenever he was near.

Elliot gently stroked her soft hair, which smelled incredible. He could feel her body trembling less and less. His muscular arms held her close. He decided maybe it was time to get Olivia up to her apartment. Elliot's cop instincts kicked in and he surveyed their surroundings. There was a lady taking her dog for a walk. A teenage couple was out for a leisurely stroll. Nothing out of the ordinary. A dark colored SUV rounded the corner and drove toward them. As it got closer, the window rolled down and a gun quietly peeked out.

"GET DOWN!" Elliot screamed, pulling Olivia down behind the car as the SUV opened fire. Shots fired everywhere. Elliot covered Olivia as one round of bullets shattered the car windows. The ear-splitting sound of the bullets was loud Olivia had to cover her ears. Just when it seemed the firing would never cease, it suddenly became quiet. Olivia opened one eye and peeked under Elliot's car. She could see the bottom of the dark SUV. Elliot's body still covered hers, silent and unmoving. She took her cue from him and laid still. They wanted the shooters to think they were dead. Finally, she heard the car drive off. She opened one and once again peeked under the car. Once she was sure they were gone, she nudged Elliot.

"Hey," she said to him. "They're gone. You can get up now."

But Elliot did not move or speak.

"Elliot?" she nudged him again. "El?"

Her heart began to race. Why wasn't he moving? Why didn't he respond to her? She gently lifted his head. His eyes were closed. He was unconscious. The right side of his head felt moist. She removed her hands to find them covered in blood.

"Oh, God!," Olivia gasped, tears running down her face. "Oh no, no, no, NO!"

She slowly pulled herself out from under him.

"Elliot?" she cried trying to wake him. "Elliot, open your eyes. Look at me!"

His eyes remained closed and he remained silent.

"Elliot, please!" she sobbed, cradling his head in her arms. "Wake up!"

She reached into her pocket and pulled out her cell phone.

"Don't worry, El," she said weeping. "It's gonna be okay. You're gonna be fine."

Olivia continued to cradle Elliot's head as she turned on her cell phone and started dialing.


	4. Chapter 4

**Location: Rikers Island Correctional Facility**

"He's in here. Follow me."

Fin and Munch followed the corrections officer down a long hallway and through a door at the end. They entered a small room with four gray brick walls. In the center of the room was a table and four chairs. Sitting there was Lowell Harris in an orange prison jump suit with his hands cuffed, his ankles in chains, and a satisfied grin on his face.

"Lowell Harris," Munch sat down across from him. Fin sat down next to Munch. "I'm Sergeant John Munch, and I believe you already my partner, Detective Fin Tutuola."

"I liked you better as Jasper," quipped Harris, staring Fin down. "You take your formal introductions and shove them up your asses. Now tell me, what the fuck do you want?"

"I think you know," Fin glared at him.

"How's Olivia doing?" Harris asked with a sly grin. "Or does she still go by Kat? I think it suits her personality well. Mmmm...feisty! Does she think of me? I know I think of her, rather fondly."

"She's lucky to be alive," replied Fin. "Can't say the same about her partner. If I find out you had anything to with tonight's drive-by shooting, you'll be in deep shit. Deeper shit if her partner dies."

"Is that supposed to scare me?" retorted Harris with a chuckle.

"You're just mad because she threw your sorry ass in jail," Fin taunted him, waiting for a reaction.

Harris stared coldly at Fin. "That bitch will get what she deserves."

"Meaning?" questioned Munch.

"You'll see," he grinned sinisterly.

Fin stood up and walked to the other side of the table, on Harris' right side. He brought his face within inches of Harris' face.

"You think you're such a bad ass." snapped Fin. "Don't you?"

"Tell me about three weeks ago," demanded Munch, getting up and standing on Harris left side. "What do you know about a bomb that blew up an NYPD detective's home with his family inside?"

"Not a damn thing," Harris smirked, staring straight ahead. "I've been locked up here for, oh, what's been? Three years now?

"True," Munch responded. "But there was a souvenir at the crime scene with your partial DNA on it." Munch brought his face to Harris' left ear. "Are you really that twisted that you'd send a family member to do your bidding."

Harris shifted in his chair, but didn't say a word. Beads of perspiration dripped slowly down his face. He continued to stare straight ahead, looking at neither Fin nor Munch.

"Why so nervous all of sudden?" quipped Fin.

"We're done here," Harris looked toward the door and yelled. "C.O.! Take me back to my cell!"

Harris stood up, walked to the door, where he stood and waited for a corrections officer to take him back to his cell. He stared straight at the door.

"By the way," Munch retorted. "We found something interesting in your file. Or should I say it was what we didn't find that was interesting?"

Harris turned his head and paused for a moment. The corrections officer entered the room. He secured Harris' cuffs and chains.

"Have a nice day detectives," Harris sneered. "Do send Olivia my love."

**The Next Day.**

_ "Elliot!" called a familiar voice._

_ "Who's there?" Elliot asked._

_ At first, he saw nothing but darkness. But suddenly he saw a light at the end of a dark tunnel. Was he dead? He hesitated a moment, then started walking towards the light._

_ "Elliot!" the voice called again._

_ Figures appeared at the end of the the tunnel, dark and shapeless at first, then they became clear as day._

_ "Kathy!" Elliot cried, overjoyed to see his family. "Maureen! Kathleen! Dickie! Lizzie! Eli!"_

_ Elliot ran toward his family. He had missed them so much. All he wanted to do was hold them and tell them how much he loved them._

_ "No, Elliot!" Kathy said. "Go back. It's okay."_

_ "We love you, Daddy," his children said._

_ "I love you, too," Elliot sobbed. "And I miss you all so much!"_

_ "We want you to be happy," Kathy smiled. "Now go and live your life. GO!"_

Elliot's eyes fluttered open. His family at the end of the tunnel had vanished. And in its place was a hospital room. Part of him wished he was still in the tunnel. His heart ached for his family. His head throbbed intensely. Cragen stood over him.

"Welcome back," Cragen said. "How are you feeling?"

"My head is killing me," grumbled Elliot.

"You're one lucky son of a bitch," Cragen told him. "The bullet only grazed your skull. If you hadn't ducked when you did, you'd be dead. Not to mention you saved Olivia's life. You're a hero."

"Where's Liv?" Elliot asked as memories of the shooting flooded his mind. "Is she okay? Is she here?"

"She's fine," Cragen assured him. "She had some minor scrapes and bruises, but more importantly she's alive, thanks to you. She was here with you for a while till I sent her home?

"Why?" asked Elliot, sitting up.

"Well," Cragen began. "I had Munch and Fin pay Harris. He didn't give away much, but he let it slip that Olivia not in the clear. Fin is at her apartment with her. Also, she was a mess. Her clothes were bloody, and she was way too emotional. She had been with you for almost twenty-four hours. She needs to get some sleep. Tomorrow, she'll be moved to a motel room."

"I should go over there," Elliot said.

"Oh, no you're not!" Cragen ordered. "The doctor's keeping you overnight for observation."

"But I'm fine," Elliot protested. He looked down at his right arm and noticed he had two cuts that were stitched up. He checked the rest of his body to find the biggest gash of all on his right leg.

"You lost a lot of blood," Cragen said, watching Elliot closely. "If Olivia hadn't given you her blood, we would've lost you."

Elliot smiled. Olivia had saved his life.

"Evening, Detective," IAB Lt. Ed Tucker stood in the doorway. "How are you feeling?"

"I'll live," Elliot quipped. "What brings you here?"

"Just checking on your well-being," said Tucker. "Also, to notify you that you and Detective Benson are suspended without pay until further notice."

"What?" Elliot couldn't believe it. "Why?"

"Because," Tucker replied. "due to these two incidents, you two are now under IAB investigation."

"This is bullshit," exclaimed Elliot. "Some asshole is seeking revenge on me and Benson, and we're the ones being investigated?"

"I understand your frustration," continued Tucker. "And that's what it looks like, but I just want to be sure."

"Why?" Elliot snapped. "You think we intentionally did something to piss them off?"

"I don't know," Tucker retorted. "Did you?"

Elliot glared at him angrily. "No. And neither did Benson. You can investigate all you want. You won't find shit on either us."

"Very well then," Tucker said, smugly. "Have a good night."

Elliot and Cragen watched Tucker leave before opening their mouths to speak.

"Jackass!" Elliot waved his middle finger in the air.

Cragen snickered and shook his head. "Just like a rat to give you bad news after you wake up in the hospital.

"Tell me about it," Elliot said, sarcastically.

**Location: Motel Room. Two Days Later.**

Olivia sat on the bed of the motel room staring at the TV, yet she paid no attention to what was on. Fin, who had spent the better part of the day with her, sat on the other bed reading a newspaper, and routinely surveying their surroundings. He would occasionally ask Olivia if she was alright, but she barely spoke a word. He knew she was still traumatized from the shooting, so he did not press on. Olivia's mind kept replaying the events of that awful night.

_ "Can you tell me what happened?" a uniformed police officer asked her._

_ Olivia fidgeted on the exam table as a nurse examined her._

_ "I'm fine," she told the nurse. "Where's my partner? Detective Stabler?"_

_ "He's in the O.R." the nurse said. "They need to remove glass fragments from his skull."_

_ "Glass fragments?" Olivia repeated. "No bullet?"_

_ "No," replied the nurse. "The bullet only grazed his skull. But he's got several cuts on his right arm and leg that need stitches. He's lost a lot of blood though. He's gonna need a transfusion. But he'll be just fine."_

_ Olivia sighed in relief. Elliot was alive!_

_ "Give him my blood," Olivia insisted. "He and I have the same blood type."_

_ "I just need to finish examining you first," said the nurse, as she treated Olivia's scrapes and bruises. _

_ "I'm fine!" Olivia protested. "Just take my blood already!"_

_ Elliot had risked his own life to save hers, and she was willing to do whatever it took to save his, even if it meant risking her own life._

_ "Okay," said, the nurse deciding it best not to argue. "I'll be right back."_

_ The nurses left the exam room. The officer cleared his throat, letting Olivia know he was still there and waiting for an answer._

_ "Detective Benson?" he nudged. "Your statement, please."_

_ "Well," she began her story when Elliot dropped her off. She told the officer every detail she could remember. She finished just as the nurse returned to take her blood. The officer thanked Olivia and left. She laid down on the exam table as the nurse took inserted the syringe into her upper arm and drew blood. Afterward, the nurse led her to a waiting area outside the operating rooms. After what seemed like hours on end, a doctor finally came out and told her that Elliot was in recovery. Eventually, he was moved to a room, where Olivia sat with him, holding his hand and drifted off to sleep._

_ She was awakened several hours later by Cragen. Olivia rubbed the sleepiness out of her eyes, and noticed she still clutched Elliot's hand. She updated Cragen on the shooting and Elliot's condition._

_ "What happened to your arm?" asked Cragen, noticed the bandage on her upper arm._

_ Olivia softly touched her bandaged arm. "I gave him my blood. He would've died if I hadn't done it. He saved my life. So I saved his. We're partners. It's what we do."_

_ "I know," Cragen agreed. "But I need you to go home."_

_ "Captain, I'm fine," she insisted. "I really should stay here with Elliot."_

_ But he knew she wasn't. She was clearly in shock, her clothes covered in Elliot's blood. She looked exhausted and pale, but Cragen assumed that was because she gave Elliot blood._

_ "We have another problem," he informed her._

_ "What is it," Olivia asked._

_ Cragen updated her on Munch and Fin's visit with Harris. "Fin will stay with you at your apartment tonight. But tomorrow, you'll be moved to a motel until we lock up this bastard."_

_ Olivia reluctantly went home, but not before making Cragen promise to update her on Elliot's condition. She spent most of that night tossing and turning, her mind refusing to give her any peace. The next morning, she packed her bags and Fin escorted her to a motel. There they met up with Munch, who relieved Fin of his duties and stayed with Olivia for a good part of the day. Cragen had called her as promised, letting her know of Elliot's progress and of Tucker's visit. She wasn't at all thrilled with what he said, but she was more upset that his visit had stressed Elliot. She spent the rest of the day and night in quiet, no one coming in or out of her room without proper authorization._

"Dinner's here," Fin called to her.

Olivia snapped out of her daze and went over to the table in the corner of the room. She sat down as Fin took a burger out of a bag and handed it to her, along with fries and a soda.

"Thanks,"she spoke softly, then ate in silence.

"Don't worry," he consoled her. He took his burger and fries out of the bag. "We're gonna get him."

"I know," Olivia forced a smile. "I guess I'm just..., still in shock."

"Well, that's expected," he said, biting into his burger. "I'd be more worried if you weren't, considering what you went through that night."

"Any luck with the DNA or fingerprints?" she asked, quickly changing the subject.

"Not yet," Fin replied. "CSU is still running them."

A knock on the door made both Fin and Olivia turn their heads. Fin stood up, pulling his gun out of its holster.

"Identify yourself!" he called aloud, nearing the door.

"It's me, Elliot Stabler," answered the voice from the other side of the door.

Fin peered through the peek hole in the door. Sure enough, it was Elliot standing outside. Fin quickly unlocked the door and ushered Elliot inside. Gun still in hand, he peeked outside and quickly surveyed their surroundings before returning to the room and locking the door again.

"What are you doing here?" asked Fin. "Aren't you still suspended?"

"Not anymore," replied Elliot. "I've been cleared. And so has Liv."

"That was quick," remarked Fin.

"You're telling me," commented Elliot. "By the way, you can go home. I'm here to relieve you."

"You don't have to tell me twice," Fin grabbed his coat and bagged up the rest of his dinner. "See ya, Liv. See ya, Elliot."

Elliot let him unlocked the door to let Fin leave, then he secured the room and their surroundings, and locked the door again. He then turned to Olivia, who had not taken her eyes off him since he first walked in.


	5. Chapter 5

Olivia ran to Elliot and threw her arms around him. She pressed her face against his, brushing against his bandaged wound.

"I'm sorry," she said, pulling her head back. She reached up to touch it. "Does it hurt?

"Not really," he answered, his piercing blue eyes staring deeply into her beautiful brown eyes.

"You saved my life." Olivia returned his gaze. "How can I ever thank you?"

"You saved mine," he replied. "Consider us even."

"It doesn't even compare," she said. "All they did was stick a needle in my arm. But you-" She paused, stifling a few tears. "You risked your life for me. You could have died."

"I couldn't lose you too," Elliot cupped her face in his hands, still gazing into her eyes.

Olivia sweetly kissed his warm, soft lips. "I couldn't lose you either."

It felt so wonderful, so right. All the tension they suppressed over the years, building up inside of them burned so strong and white hot. They could no longer deny it. Elliot wrapped his arms around Olivia, pressing his lips to hers as they both leaned against the wall.

"Oh, Liv," Elliot said, kissing her and unzipping her gray hoodie. "I need you. I want you."

"Hold me, El," Olivia kissed him back, unbuckling his belt and removing his jeans. "And kiss me. And don't ever let me go."

He helped her out of her jeans as she pulled off his underwear. He pulled her blouse over her head as she unbuttoned his shirt and kissed his chest. He continued to kiss her as he unfastened her bra and slid off her panties.

"Oh, God," he said, admiring her tan, naked flesh. "Liv, you are so beautiful!"

Olivia closed her eyes and moaned softly as Elliot kissed her neck. His strong muscular arms around her, holding her so close she could feel his heart beat against her. She could feel body melt with his warm, gentle touch. He lifted her up and carried her to the bed. He gently laid her down and climbed in beside her.

"Oh, God," Olivia moaned as Elliot showered her body with kisses. "Oh, El!"

He softly kissed her neck and moved lower, to her breasts caressing each breast with his lips. He continued lower still, parting her legs and massaging her with his tongue. Olivia quivered and moaned loudly as Elliot filled her body with intense pleasure. He then rose above her, as she lay whimpering, her breathing shallow. His lips embraced hers in a most passionate kiss. She climbed on top of him, straddling his lower body between her legs. His erect manhood pressed against her entrance. She let out a soft moan as Elliot entered her and began to thrust gently back and forth inside her. Olivia's hair fell around him as he pulled her closer, thrusting deeper inside her body. The scent of her hair was intoxicatingly wonderful. She moved with him, meeting his every thrust. The passion they withheld for so long finally unfolding between.

"El...El!" Olivia moaned even louder, unable to finish his name.

Elliot moaned deeply as he scooped her up and laid her down, positioning himself on top of her. She wrapped her legs around him and grabbed his muscular ass, urging him deeper inside of her. He brought his forehead to hers as he ran his fingers through her hair. Every touch was sensational, making their bodies tingle. Every kiss was more electrifying than the last. They were and moved as one, moaning louder and longer as waves of intense pleasure crashed over them, growing increasingly stronger. The headboard banged loudly against the wall, and the bed shook violently beneath them as Elliot's thrusts became more powerful. Olivia clung desperately to his body, letting go of his ass and digging her nails into his muscular shoulders. She threw her head back, she and Elliot moaning fiercely as pure ecstasy consumed them both.

Elliot cradled Olivia while she caught her breath. Both their bodies trembling and glistening with sweat, and breathless. She gazed into his crystal blue eyes and kissed him passionately. Elliot rolled over and fell to her side. Olivia rolled over next to him and rested her head on his chest, listening to his strong steady heartbeat, as he gently stroked her hair. They held each other for, what seemed to them, an eternity of bliss. His hands intertwined with hers. Olivia drifted off to sleep listening to Elliot's heartbeat. He kissed her forehead and closed his eyes, drifting off into a sound sleep.

**The Next Day.**

Olivia awoke with Elliot's muscular arm around her, holding her close. His warm body against hers. Last night was the best night she had in a long time, perhaps the best night of her life. She had been lonely and miserable for way too long. She smiled as she watched him sleep. He looked more peaceful than he had in weeks. She was glad to see him finally living his life again. She wanted more than anything to be there for him, and ease his pain. It was at the moment Olivia realized she was falling in love with Elliot. But she was almost afraid to admit it because she felt he needed more time to heal.

Elliot opened his eyes to see Olivia staring back at him. He wrapped both his arms around her in a warm embrace. She laid her head on his shoulder. He stroked her sweet smelling hair.

"Good morning," she greeted him.

"Morning," he yawned. "What time is it?"

"Seven-thirty," she replied.

"Shit!" he sat up. "My relief is gonna be here soon."

Olivia looked down in disappointment.

"I'll be back tonight," he lifted her face to his and kissed her. "I promise."

She wrapped her arms around him and kissed him back.

"You'd better be," she smiled at him.

She went into the bathroom and turned on the shower. It was nice to see Olivia really smile, and not force one just to please people so they would leave her alone. He closed his eyes, remembering last night. And not just the sex, but afterward, holding Olivia in his arms and becoming lost in her eyes. She looked truly happy. He wanted more than anything to make her happy, to hold her and tell her that everything would be alright. It was then he realized he too was falling in love with Olivia. But was he truly ready to move on with his life? After all, he was only just beginning to accept the loss of his family.

**Location: SVU Squad Room. One week later.**

Elliot paced back and forth around his desk, going through every piece of evidence in his head. Everything from the explosion to the shooting. Why did he feel like something was missing? He closed his eyes and thought back to the day of the explosion. He remembered driving down his street, the neighborhood kids playing, a cop car patrolling down his street. A neighbor's car rode past him. Nothing unusual there. He fast forwarded to the night of the shooting. He remembered holding Olivia, the lady walking her dog, the teenage couple, a cop car patrolling down Olivia's block. Elliot's eyes snapped open.

"Son of a bitch!" he exclaimed.

Could it have been the same cop car? He closed his eyes again, this time concentrating on the cop car. He thought back to the day of the explosion. It looked like an ordinary squad car. Unfortunately, he couldn't remember a plate or squad car number. At the time, there was no reason to even look. He focused on the driver. He was a uniformed officer with brown hair. He wore large dark sunglasses, so Elliot couldn't see his face very well. He remembered seeing someone cuffed in the back seat. He was wearing a baseball cap and had his head down. Elliot couldn't see his face either. He fast forwarded to the night of the shooting. Again he couldn't remember a plate or car number. This time it was too dark to see the driver or if there were any other passengers. He changed his focus to the SUV. The driver wore a mask, so he couldn't see his face. It was dark blue or black. Maybe a Ford or a Chevy? Elliot could see the first three letters of the license plate clear as day. He opened his eyes and reached for a pad and pencil. He wrote down the letters while they were still fresh in his mind.

"You got something?" Fin noticed Elliot's sudden movements.

"Maybe," Elliot replied, entering the partial plate number into the database. "I think our perp maybe a cop."

"What makes you say that?" Cragen asked.

He and Munch had just walked into the squad room in time to overhear their conversation. Elliot told them what he remembered about the cop car being at both crime scenes, about the partial plate number on the SUV.

"It makes sense," Cragen stated. "No one would think twice about a random squad car patrolling the area."

"Not mention he has an accomplice," Munch added. "My guess is, on the night of the shooting, the driver of the squad car made it look as if he was patrolling Liv's street to make sure she was there. Then he signaled the driver of the SUV."

"I'll buy that," said Cragen. "But where was his accomplice on the day of the explosion?"

That was a good question. They paused a moment to think. Elliot looked up as the thought occurred to him, like a light bulb turning on in his head.

"He was the perp," Elliot said. "He was cuffed in the back seat of the squad car. He wore a hat and kept his head down so no one would see his face. He must've hopped in the squad car after he planted the bomb."

"This is all good," Cragen commented. "But how do we find out which squad car or even which cop it is?"

"I have an idea," Elliot suggested. "There's a traffic light with a camera at the end of Liv's street and another on my street. If we could bring up the footage we may just be able to get a plate and/or car number. And even find out if it was the same car at both crime scenes."

"That's good," Cragen said. "Call TARU and have Morales get on that ASAP. Also, see if he can get footage of the SUV. Unfortunately, this won't get us a search warrant for either car. What else have we got?

"CSU just called," said Fin, hanging up the phone. "We got a hit on Harris' DNA in the Canadian database. Munch is pulling up the file now."

All four of them gathered around the giant plasma screen as Munch opened the files.

"Harris' real name is Carl Grady," said Munch. "According to his file, he's been arrested eight times for sexual assault and battery. And that's just as an adult. He has a juvenile record that sealed."

"What about his family history?" Fin asked. "Any siblings?"

"His parents are deceased," Munch stated. "Car accident fifteen years ago. Dad was drunk and drove them into a ditch. But he has a younger brother, Alan, who also has a sealed juvenile record."

"Alan has to be our perp," declared Elliot. "Was his DNA and prints a match?"

"Sorry," Munch shook his head. "It must be another male relative. Cousin, maybe. I'll send for their juvenile records. Maybe something in there will tell us who he is."

"Great," griped Elliot sarcastically. "Another dead end. Just what we needed."

"Maybe not," Cragen said. "Is there a photo of Alan?"

Munch pulled up Alan's photo.

"Do you recognize him?" Cragen asked Elliot.

Elliot took a good look at the photo. Alan looked a lot like his brother. They had the same dark hair and eyes, but Alan was not as muscularly built as Harris, or Carl in this case.

"It could be him," Elliot answered. "But like I said before, he was wearing shades. I couldn't really see his face."

"It was worth a shot," said Cragen. "Elliot, add that photo to Morales' to-do list. Have him use the facial recognition software and run it through every database he can think of. Munch and Fin, go light a fire under CSU's ass. We need a match on the DNA and prints ASAP."

"Hey, Captain," Fin suddenly thought of something. "When Munch and I interrogated Harris, he said Liv was 'gonna get what's coming to her.' Whoever is watching Liv, must be keeping him informed."

"Good point," commented Cragen. "Add that to your to-do list. Call Rikers and get a copy of Harris' visitor log."

"We're on it," said Fin, as he, Munch, and Elliot went on to carry out their orders.

"And one more thing," Cragen added. "If they knew where Liv was on the night of the shooting, then they must've been watching her and possibly still are. It's too late now, but we have to move Liv first thing in the morning."

**Location: Motel Room.**

That night Elliot stayed with Olivia. He explained to her the new breakthrough in the case, telling her of all the new evidence they had recently gathered. Then the following morning Fin and Elliot helped Olivia pack her bags, then moved her to another motel. This time they made sure they were not followed. Then Fin went back to the precinct, while Elliot stayed with Olivia, who was looking rather worried.

"Liv, what's wrong?" he asked her.

"Are you sure we weren't followed?" she asked.

"Positive," Elliot assured her. He put his arms around her and kissed her forehead. "Don't you worry. I won't let him get you."

"I know," she said putting her head on his shoulder. "It's just...how long is this gonna go on? I can't stay cooped up in a motel room for the rest of my life. I just can't. I'll lose my mind."

"I know how you feel," he sympathized. "I've been asking myself that same question. I want this investigation to be over already. I want to get justice for my family and feel some closure at last. So I can finally move on. I know I'm gonna miss them always and I'm gonna hurt from time to time, but I also know they'd want me to be happy."

Elliot told her about seeing his family in the tunnel during his unconsciousness.

Olivia smiled. "It sounds to me like you received a little bit of closure. You do seem more at ease lately."

"I guess you're right, in a way," he smiled back. He hadn't thought of it that way before now.

Elliot's stomach began to growl. They had been so focused on moving Olivia that neither of them had eaten breakfast yet.

"You hungry?" he asked her.

"Famished," Olivia replied.

"How about I order us some take out?" he suggested.

"Sounds good," she agreed. "I'm gonna hop in the shower while we're waiting for the food to get here."

She went into the bathroom and started the shower. Elliot picked up the phone to order, when suddenly there was a knock at the door. It was odd because they weren't expecting anyone. Elliot pulled his gun out of it's holster.

"Identify yourself!" he demanded, holding his gun out.

"It's Lt. Tucker," said a voice behind the door.

Elliot peered through the peek hole. Sure enough, there was Tucker holding up his badge. Elliot opened the door to let him. He then secure the area and locked the door again.

"What brings you back?" Elliot inquired. "I thought IAB was done investigating us."

"We are," Tucker responded. "I heard about Detective Benson's predicament, and I have a few questions I need to ask her."

"How did you hear?" questioned Elliot. "Only four people, including myself, know about the case."

"Your captain," he answered. "He notified IAB that you had reason to suspect a cop was your perp."

"Well, Olivia is in the shower," Elliot told him. "I was just about to order us some breakfast."

Elliot knocked on the bathroom door just as the shower was turned off.

"Liv?" he called. "Tucker's here!"

"Ugh!" she groaned. "I thought I smelled a rat. What does he want?"

"He's got some questions for you," Elliot answered.

"I'll be out in a few minutes," Olivia said.

"I'm gonna go get some breakfast," Elliot told her. "Will you be alright? I won't be long."

"I'll be okay," she assured him. "Bring me some coffee."

"Okay, bye," he turned to Tucker. "You want me to bring you some cheese?"

"Very funny," quipped Tucker, watching Elliot leave before securing the room and locking the door again.

In the bathroom, Olivia was wrapped in a towel and fixing her hair in the mirror. She paused a moment when she heard her cell phone beep. She opened it to find a new text message from Elliot.

_Text me if anything goes wrong. _It said _I know he can be a total jackass. -Elliot_

She went to text him back when the phone slipped out of her hand and hit the ground. She bent over to pick it up, then stood back up. She was startled to see in the mirror's reflection that Tucker was standing behind her. He put a hand over her mouth before she could scream.

"Hello, Detective," he taunted, putting a gun to her head. "Scream and you're dead!"


	6. Chapter 6

**Thank you guys for all the positive feedback! You guys rock my socks! Now here's the latest update. Enjoy!**

Tucker led a weepy Olivia out of the bathroom and into the motel room. He threw her onto the bed and climbed on top of her.

"Why are you doing this?" Olivia sobbed.

"I'm here to collect a debt," Tucker said with an evil grin, pressing the gun harder against her skull. "You don't fuck with my family and get away with it! Hands up!"

"I never did anything to you or your family!" she cried slowly holding up her trembling hands.

He chuckled menacingly. "My cousin sends his love. And a message." He handcuffed her to the bed posts. "You kept him waiting. Now you have to pay."

_The longer you make me wait, the harder it's gonna be._

Lowell Harris' words echoed through Olivia's mind. She stared in shock at Tucker, realizing who he truly was. All the pieces were finally coming together.

"Oh my God!" she gasped. "The shooting,...the explosion. It was you! You murdered Elliot's family!"

"He was supposed to die with them," he snapped angrily. "But he took his sweet ass time getting home. Now shut up, bitch!"

Tucker pulled her hair and held her head steady. Olivia shuddered as he kissed her cheek.

"Please stop!" she whimpered, as he tore off her towel exposing her bare flesh.

"You know you want it," he taunted her, pressing the gun even harder against her head. "Or do you only like it when your partner gives it to you?"

How did he know about her and Elliot? Olivia realized Tucker had been watching them more closely than they thought. With his other hand, he unzipped his pants and pulled out a condom out of his pocket. He tore it open and put it over his manhood.

"No...no...no!" Olivia begged with tears in her eyes, as he pried her legs apart. "Don't do this! Please!"

Olivia gasped as he entered her and pushed inside her hard. Her eyes widened in fear, and her body lay trembling.

"Oh yea," Tucker moaned. "I'm gonna fuck you so hard!"

Olivia shut her eyes tight as he thrust harder, faster, and deeper inside of her. It hurt so much. She tried with all her might to free her hands from the cuffs.

"Open your eyes," he demanded.

She shook her head and sobbed harder.

"I said open them!" He snapped, and slapped her hard.

Olivia forced her eyes open. Tucker stroked her face and kissed her.

"Oh fuck," he groaned, holding her head down by her hair, as she tried to look away. "Tell me you like it. Tell you want more."

She hesitated and tried to look away again. Tucker hit her again. Harder this time. She cried out in pain.

"I...I like it!" she spit out the words as if they were poison. "I want...I want...more!"

"Now tell, me I'm the best you've ever had," he ordered her, pulling her hair harder.

"You're the best..." she forced through clenched teeth. "You're the best I've ever had!"

Tucker grunted in pleasure and squeezed Olivia's breasts. He panted like a dog above her, his thrusts becoming more powerful. She bit her lip to stifle a moan. Her mind fought to resist the growing pleasure inside her, but her body could no longer deny it and moved with his body, writhing beneath him, as he moved even faster and harder and deeper. An intense moan escaped Olivia's lips as she reached her climax. Tucker pushed in and out of her a few more times before reaching his own climax.

Tucker climbed off of Olivia, who lay trembling, breathing shallow, and weeping softly. He cupped her chin in one hand.

"That was fun," he teased. "Did you enjoy it as much as I did? I think you did."

Olivia shook her head. But Tucker tightened his grip on her chin, causing her to cry louder.

"I'd love to stay and chat," he quipped. "But I have to kill you now."

"NO!" Olivia cried out, shutting her eyes tight, as Tucker grabbed the lamp off the nightstand and brought it down hard on her head. Disoriented and dizzy from the excruciating pain, Olivia kept her eyes shut and forced herself not to cry out. She silently prayed Tucker would leave her for dead and go away. But Tucker was too smart. He didn't want to risk her still being alive. He couldn't let her ruin everything. So he raised the lamp again, above his head this time, and brought it down even harder on her head, causing Olivia to black out completely.

**Location: Streets of NYC.**

"Come on!" Elliot yelled at the traffic light while impatiently tapping his fingers on the steering wheel. "Turn green already, dammit!"

He glanced at his watch for what seemed like the millionth time. Thanks to the morning rush, it took him longer to get breakfast than he anticipated. He wanted to hurry and get back to Olivia. He was sure she was safe with Tucker, but he also knew Tucker could really get under the skin. And he didn't want Tucker upsetting Olivia. She had enough to deal with already. He almost wished he hadn't left. Finally, the light changed and Elliot drove onward until he reached the motel. He pulled into the parking lot and parked the car.

Elliot could see the door to Olivia's room from his spot. He hadn't even stepped out of the car and he could sense that something was wrong. Olivia's door was slightly ajar. He quietly exited his car, and pulled his gun out of its holster. Holding his gun with both hands, he tiptoed to the door. He quietly pushed it open and quickly waved his gun around, in case the perp was still there. He froze in his tracks, nearly dropping his gun, when his eyes shifted to the bed. There lay Olivia's exposed body, unconscious, and handcuffed to the bedposts.

"Oh my God! LIV!" he frantically called her name, returning his gun back to its holster, and running to her. "Liv! No!"

She lay there stagnant and silent, bleeding from the left side of her head. Elliot removed the cuffs from her hands and stared at the deep bruises they left on her wrists. Her breasts and thighs were heavily bruised. She was raped. The realization hit him like a monster truck.

"Come on, Liv!" He tried to rouse her, but she did not stir. "Open your eyes. Please! Liv!"

He checked her pulse. It was weak and thready, which meant Olivia was alive but barely. He had to get her to a hospital and fast! He pulled his cell phone out of his pocket and called for an ambulance. Elliot swore he would find the sorry son of a bitch who did this and make them pay. He also swore he would make Tucker pay for leaving her. What the hell was he thinking? How could he leave her?

Elliot suddenly heard a thud behind him. It was then that he noticed a chair wedged under the closet door. He pulled the chair away and opened the closet door. Sitting on the floor, bound and gagged, was Tucker with a huge gash on his forehead. Elliot untied him and helped him up.

"What the fuck happened!" Elliot yelled, infuriated. "You were supposed to be protecting her!"

"I don't know," Tucker lied. "Someone knocked on the door. I went to answer it. He busted down the door and pistol-whipped me before I could stop him. Next thing I know, I'm waking up in the closet all tied up!"

"Please tell me you got a good look at him," Elliot begged.

"Nope, sorry," Tucker thought quickly. "He wore a dark colored ski mask."

"Did he have an accomplice?" Elliot questioned. "Or was he alone?"

"From what I gathered," Tucker answered. "He was alone."

Elliot became frustrated, but he did not let it show. How could this bastard hurt the people he loved and get away with it? Elliot vowed to himself that he would do whatever it takes to find him, no matter how long it would take. He sat back down on the bed with Olivia and comfort her while they waited for the ambulance to come.

**Location: Hospital. **

"Elliot," Cragen watched him pace back and forth. "sit down."

The two of them, along with Munch and Fin, sat around the hospital waiting room, waiting anxiously for the doctor to bring them news about Olivia. She had been in surgery for most of the day. Yet the doctor came out only once. To tell them Olivia's brain was bleeding, and that they were doing all they could to stop it. Evening was approaching, yet they received no further news of Olivia's condition. Elliot prayed that Olivia would be okay. That she would open her beautiful brown eyes and smile at him. That he would be able to hold her in his arms again, kissing her, telling her that everything would be alright. He had lost too much already. He couldn't lose the only good thing he had left, the only light in his life, his only salvation.

"I'm sorry, Captain," Elliot sat down.

"I know," Cragen said. "It's okay. We all care about Liv. And we're all worried too."

"Yea, El," Fin agreed. "And we ain't gonna rest to find the motherfucker who did this."

Cragen looked around. "Where is Tucker now?"

"The doc stitched him up and he left," answered Elliot. "I took his statement at the motel."

"Okay," nodded Cragen, turning to his detectives. "So do we have any new evidence?"

"Nothing obvious at the crime scene," replied Elliot. "But we'll know more when CSU finishes processing."

"Speaking of CSU," Munch added. "They got a hit on our mystery prints and DNA in the Canadian database. Canada is sending over the file. Also, we received Carl and Alan's juvenile records this morning. It turns out Alan played lookout while Carl and their cousin, Dennis Granger, broke into neighbors homes. Alan disappeared after his eighteenth birthday, but Carl graduated to rape and assault. And as for Dennis, we won't know till we get his file. But I bet he followed his cousin, Carl. Unfortunately, there was no photo of Dennis in the file. But when I contacted Canadian authorities for his file, they told me it was already on its way. Dennis is our perp."

"Well, it's about damn time!" Cragen quipped.

"There's more," Fin spoke up. "Morales called earlier today. He got a match on the SUV. It was a rental which he tracked back to the rental agency, It's now on its way to the CSU lab. He also got a match to Alan's photo to an Aaron McGuire from the 23rd Precinct. He even got a clear shot of the squad car from both crime scenes. It was the same car, which also happens to be issued to Aaron McGuire."

"This is great work guys," Cragen complimented them. "I want you two to haul his ass in for questioning first thing tomorrow morning." He looked over at Elliot, who was looking rather perplexed. "What's up?"

"Just thinking," Elliot responded. "Tucker said only one perp entered the room. So where was his accomplice this time? I kept my eyes open and didn't see any cop cars as I left the motel nor on my way back."

"Alan must've been playing look out again," Munch suggested. "He is Aaron, the cop, now so he probably figured out we're close to identifying his car. My guess is he either parked away from the motel or drove a different car. And while Dennis raped Liv, he watched for Elliot."

"That sounds plausible," said Cragen. "Check the motel and nearby buildings for security cameras. Send whatever you can find to Morales."

"Still," Elliot said, still perplexed. "There was something fishy about Tucker's statement. I can't put my finger on it, but I feel like something was missing. Like maybe he left something out."

"Question," Cragen said. "Did Rikers ever send over Harris' visitor logs?"

"They came in this morning," answered Fin. "We just haven't had a chance to look through it yet."

Cragen was about add something to the conversation when they heard a door open. They looked up to see the doctor come out and walk toward them. His gloved hands and navy-colored scrubs were covered in blood. He stood before them and removed his face mask to speak. All four men stood up and faced the doctor.

"How is she?" Elliot frantically asked the doctor before could say a word.

"We were able to stop the bleeding," the doctor replied. "She made it through surgery. She is in recovery now."

"Oh, thank God!" Elliot let out a sigh of relief.

"Can we see her?" asked Cragen.

"Not until tomorrow," said the doctor.

"Why?" Elliot demanded to know.

"She needs to rest," stated the doctor. "She will be moved to Intensive Care within the next few hours."

"In light of the circumstances," informed Cragen. "I'm requesting that a uniformed officer be posted outside of Olivia's room. No one goes in or out without proper authorization."

Munch said to Cragen. "I guess we can wait till tomorrow to get Liv's statement. Were you able to do a rape kit?"

"Yes. It's at the nurses station awaiting your signature," said the doctor. "I really hope you can get evidence from the rape kit. It's gonna be awhile before you'll be able to get a statement from Olivia."

"What do you mean?" asked Elliot, deeply concerned. "When will she wake up?"

"It's hard to say," answered the doctor. "It's touch and go for now."

All four men looked at each other in shock.

"Exactly how bad is this?" Elliot needed to know.

"She's on life support," the doctor told them solemnly.

"Life support?" repeated a worried Elliot.

"Yes," stated the doctor. "I'm sorry to say this, but Olivia is in a coma."

**OH NO! Don't worry! More to come soon! Please feel free to read and review!**


	7. Chapter 7

**Location: SVU Squad Room. The Next Day.**

George Huang peered through the two-way mirror into the interrogation where Alan Grady sat at the table. Unlike his brother, who didn't flinch or falter when he was interrogated by Munch and Fin at Rikers, Alan fidgeted around in his sit, trying not to look nervous. But the beads of sweat dripping down his face gave him away. The way he stared around anxiously, Huang thought Alan would wet himself at the drop of a pin. Huang thought he seemed more frightened than nervous. Fin and Cragen entered the room and stood next to Huang.

"How should we go about this?" Cragen asked Huang.

"Let me talk to him," suggested Huang. "He may be an accomplice, but I think he's also a victim."

"What?" Fin and Cragen exchanged confused looks.

"Look at him," Huang urged them. "He's scared. But not of us. Of Carl and Dennis. They seem to have a strong hold over him. They're the dominant ones. Alan knows what will happen if he betrays Carl and Dennis. But he also knows what will happen if he remains silent. He'll be forced to spend years in prison with his cousin and brother. Either way he's a goner."

"It makes sense," said Fin. "He was always the lookout. He never committed any actual crimes. He was always the accomplice."

Cragen nodded in agreement. "Alright, Doc. See what he knows. If he can lead us to Dennis, we may offer him a deal. Let's just hope he doesn't lawyer up first."

Huang gently and quietly opened the door to interrogation so as to not startle Alan, who was looking around, rather anxiously. He nearly jumped out of his skin when Huang entered the room, but he calmed down when Huang put his hands up.

"Take it easy, Alan," said Huang softly, slowly putting his hands down. "I'm a doctor. I just want to talk. Is it okay if I ask you a few questions?"

"I'm not crazy!" Alan snapped.

"I know," Huang spoke gently and sat down at the table across from him. "I also know you didn't want to help your brother and cousin. Tell me about them. What was it like growing up with them?"

Alan took a deep breath, feeling a little more at ease. "Carl always bullied me when we were kids. I was never any good at sports. I liked to read books, mostly about science like astronomy. I wanted to be an astronaut more than anything in the world. Carl and Dennis thought it was funny to knock whatever book I was reading out of my hands, then push me down and give me a wedgie. They always called me a 'faggot' because I never fought back. It only got worse when Dennis moved in with us."

"Why?" inquired Huang, listening intently. "What happened?"

"Because of my Uncle Roy," Alan continued, looking down at his hands, remembering. "He killed my Aunt Louise in a drunken rage. Carl and I were spending the night that night. We were in Dennis' room and heard everything. Roy accused Louise of cheating on him, as he always did when he got drunk. She swore she wasn't. He didn't believe her and started hitting her. I guess she finally realized enough was enough. She somehow broke free, ran to the kitchen and pulled out a knife. Louise told Roy if he didn't leave, she'd kill him. He laughed at her and grabbed his shotgun off the wall and shot her. Then he turned the gun on himself and pulled the trigger."

"How old were you when this happened?" questioned Huang.

"Ten," Alan answered, still looking down. "Carl and Dennis were twelve."

"Where were your parents?" Huang asked, carefully watching Alan's expressions and actions.

"My dad was always working," Alan went on. "And when he wasn't working, he got drunk and passed out on the couch. He always took Carl and Dennis' side. He'd tell me to stop being a baby and be a man. Mom always stuck up for me though. But she changed after Aunt Louise died. They were sisters and the only family either of them had. Mom took her death rather hard, and started drinking. That's when Carl and Dennis started getting out of control. They got into fights at school, killed birds and squirrels for laughs, and broke into neighbors' houses. I tagged along once just to prove I wasn't a chicken. Afterward, I didn't want to go anymore, but they kept making me. Every single time I was so scared we were gonna get caught. Which we did. Several times. They blamed me every time and beat me up for it."

"But something changed," Huang observed. "Didn't it?"

"Yes," Alan nodded quietly. He choked back a few tears. "In high school, I fell in love with a girl named, Charlotte Tannen. Charlie, as I used to call her, was smart, funny, and beautiful." He closed eyes to remember her face, to see her again. "She had this amazing red hair that reminded me of the sunset and sparkling, emerald eyes. And when she smiled at me, it made all the pain go away. Charlie was so sweet to me. She was the first real friend I ever had. She saw how Carl and Dennis treated me and felt bad. She'd let me hang out at her house so I could get away from them. Her parents were really good people. They always treated me well. We spent every free moment together, studying, strolling at night under the stars, or simply just talking. I could talk to Charlie about anything. We decided after we graduated, we would get married and move away."

"But Carl and Dennis didn't approve," Huang guessed.

"No, they didn't," Alan confirmed. "I never told them about our engagement. Charlie and I didn't want them to know. But Carl found out. I don't know how, but he did. He told me I couldn't keep such a pretty little thing to myself. I had to be a good boy and share. I told him that if he and Dennis ever hurt her, I'd kill them both!" He paused. He could feel the anger burning inside of him. He took a deep breath, as the anger turned into guilt. "Then one day, I had to stay after school. Charlie offered to stay with me, but I told her to go on ahead and I'd meet up with her at her house. When I got to her there later that after noon, I heard crying coming from upstairs." Tears began streaming down Alan's face. "I ran up to her room and kicked the door open. And...there was Charlie tied to the...to the bed! Dennis and Carl were...taking turns..."

Alan burst into tears and couldn't continue.

"They raped her," Huang realized.

Alan nodded, still in tears. "I lost it. I pulled them both off her and fought them. I was so angry. But Carl looked at me and laughed. He told me I was finally becoming a man."

"What happened to Charlie?" Huang questioned.

"I tried to help her through it," Alan looked down, sadly, at his lap. "I really did. I loved her. I still do. But Carl and Dennis harassed her every chance they got. And they spread rumors about her around school. She couldn't take it anymore and so she took her own life."

"I'm so sorry, Alan," Huang said, sympathetically.

"I went to her funeral," Alan continued. "But I hid in the back. I couldn't face her parents. But somehow they knew I was there. They came up to me after the service and gave me this. They said Charlie would have wanted me to have it."

Alan held up a silver chain with two silver rings. Both rings consisted of two hands hold a heart adorned with a crown. Inscribed on the inside of each ring were the words: _Alan & Charlotte Forever._ Alan was holding up the smaller of the two rings.

"This is all I have left of her," Alan sobbed, gazing lovingly at the ring. "It took me months to save up enough money to buy these. Her dad was a Mountie, you know. So I told him everything. He offered me protection if I testified against Carl and Dennis. And I did. For Charlie. I remember it was just after my eighteenth birthday when I testified. After the trial, Charlie's parents helped me get out of Canada and move to New York, where I started a new life under a new name."

"As a cop," spoke Huang, gently.

"Yea," Alan nodded. "I wanted to do some good. To keep Charlie's memory alive. And also thank her father for everything he did for me."

"Yet Dennis was still able to find you," Huang stated. "How?"

"I don't know," Alan replied. "Everything was fine, until about three years ago. I saw Carl's picture in the paper, but a different name was under it. He had been arrested for rape. I knew then I had to move again. It would be a matter of time before he or Dennis would find me. It took me about a month to find a new place up in Connecticut. But before I could actually make the move, Dennis found me. He told me I had to help him get vengeance for Carl. I tried to walk away. Honestly. But he told me if I didn't help him, he would kill me. And I knew he meant it."

Outside the interrogation room, Fin, Munch, and Cragen watched in shock.

"That's one hell of a sob story," remarked Fin.

"I'll say," agreed Cragen. "But how do we know if it's true or if he's playing us?"

"He's telling the truth," said Munch, showing them a case file. "According to Dennis and Carl's files, everything Alan told Huang checks out. The death of Dennis' parents, the home burglaries. There's of mention of Charlotte Tannen. They were convicted for raping her. Thanks to Alan's testimony. But that's not all. We finally received a photo of Dennis. You're not gonna believe this."

Munch pulled a photo from the file. And staring back at the three of them was a photo of IAB Lt. Ed Tucker.

"Holy shit!" Fin cried out in utter shock.

"I don't believe it!" Cragen cried out just as shocked as Fin. "Tucker is Dennis Granger?"

"I had the same reaction myself," said Munch.

"That would explain how he knew where we hid Liv," said Cragen, putting the pieces together.

"And how he found Alan," added Fin.

"That means Tucker raped Olivia," Cragen realized. "And killed Elliot's family."

The puzzle was finally coming together. There was just a few pieces missing.

"If Tucker raped Olivia," Cragen began. "How did he lock himself in the closet?"

"Maybe he had Alan do it," suggested Fin. "Tucker let him in after he attacked Liv. Then they set it up to look like a break in. But they messed up. Tucker said the perp kicked the door in. But there wasn't a single scratch on the door."

"Elliot did say his statement was fishy," commented Cragen.

"It gets better," Munch said, sarcastically. "I got Harris' visitor logs from Rikers. He had weekly visits from Dennis Granger in the past six months. Apparently, Tucker used his birth name to avoid suspicion."

"That explains how Harris knew everything," Cragen. "Call Elliot and update him. Tell him not to let Tucker near Olivia's room. If he sets foot in that hospital, I want to know. Also, get a warrant to search Tucker's apartment, car, and whatever else you can think of."

Munch and Fin went to carry out their tasks. Cragen tapped on the two-way mirror, signaling Huang to come out. Huang exited interrogation.

"What's up?" he asked Cragen.

Cragen showed him the photo and the file of Dennis Granger. He updated Huang on their findings.

"Oh...my..." Huang uttered in disbelief. "How did we not see this?"

"Believe me," Cragen said. "You're not the only one asking yourself that same question."

"Where is Tucker now?" Haung inquired.

"No one knows," Cragen replied. "IAB said he didn't show up to work today. He's not home. And he's not answering any of his phones. He must know we're getting close. If Alan knows anything more and is willing to testify, we can offer him immunity and protection."

"I'll let him know," Huang told him, and walked back into the interrogation room.

**Location: Hospital. Intensive Care Unit.**

Elliot sat in a chair next to Olivia's bed holding her hand, just as she had done for him. He waited ever so patiently for her to wake but her eyes remained closed. It pained him so much to see her attached to so many machines. She had a respirator attached to her mouth. A feeding tube jutted out from her stomach. Several other machines were attached to her chest and arms. Even so, Olivia was still beautiful. She reminded Elliot of Snow White, or Sleeping Beauty, the stories he used to read to Maureen and Kathleen when they were little girls. He wiped a tear from his eye as fond memories of his girls filled his mind.

_"Am I a real princess, Daddy?" Kathleen asked him after every bedtime story._

_ "Absolutely," he kissed her forehead._

_ "Oh, really?" Maureen chimed in, always the logical one. "Then where's Prince Charming?"_

_ "Um...his carriage broke down," he said the first thing that popped into his mind._

_ This upset Kathleen, as she began to wail. "But he's supposed to marry me so we can live happily ever after!"_

_ "Don't cry," he comforted her. "I'm sure it will be fixed soon."_

_ "So when will he come?" she asked, wiping her teary eyes with her hands._

_ "When you're twenty-one," he answered._

_ Before either one could utter another word he scooped them up in his arms and tickled them. They squirmed and giggled in his arms. He tucked them into bed and kissed them good night._

_ "Good night, girls" he said, softly. "Daddy loves you."_

_ "Good night, Daddy," they said at the same time. "We love you too."_

Something shook Elliot from his memories. Something tugged at his hand. He looked down and realized Olivia was squeezing his hand. Her eyes were still shut, but she definitely squeezed his hand.

"Squeeze it again, Liv," he told her in soft, gentle voice.

But she did not squeeze his hand again. Instead she remained still and silent.

"Liv, please," he begged. "I know you're in there. Somewhere. Fighting to stay alive. I need you to come back to me. I need you. I can't work...I can't function without you. And I'm so, so sorry. I should've never left the motel room. I promise you, I will find the bastard who did this to you. I will hunt him down till the day I die, if that's what it takes. Please come back to me, Liv. God,...I'd give anything to see you open your eyes again. To see you smile at me..."

His voice trailed off as he stared at her, hoping she heard him and woke up. Elliot jumped at the sound of his phone ringing. With one hand, he pulled his phone out and answered it. His other hand still holding onto Olivia's hand, almost afraid to let go. He wanted Olivia to know he was there for her, waiting for her to come back to him.

"Stabler," he answered his phone.

"How's Liv?" asked Fin on the other end.

"The same," Elliot answered. "Nothing's changed. What's happening over there? Any leads?"

Fin explained to Elliot everything that happened. He told him of Alan's interrogation, Tucker's real identity, including his visits to Rikers. He also passed on Cragen's message to notify him if Tucker entered the hospital.

"Wait till I get my hands on him!" Elliot seethed furiously. "I'm gonna kill him, Fin! I'm gonna fucking kill him!"

How could he have missed this? He felt even worse about leaving Olivia alone with Tucker? He looked at Olivia and gently stroked her hand.

"Calm down, man," Fin told him. "If he's near you, you'll spook him."

Elliot took deep breath. "You're right. I'm sorry. So we have no idea where Tucker could be?"

"Nope," Fin replied. "We got all we could from Alan. And we're awaiting a search warrant for Tucker's apartment."

"You think Harris may know something?" Elliot asked,

"I'm sure he does," Fin answered. "But I doubt he'll talk. He didn't talk last time Munch and I visited him."

"I'll make him talk." Elliot said and hung up the phone.

Elliot kissed Olivia's hand sweetly and stood up.

"I have to go now," he spoke softly. "But I promise you, I will be back."

**More to come soon! Please feel free to read and review!**


	8. Chapter 8

**Location: Riker's Island Correctional Facility. The Next Day.**

Elliot stormed down the long hall, following the corrections officer to interrogation. The anger raged inside of him, burning with the fire of a thousand suns. Fin followed closely behind him, worried that Elliot would lose his temper.

"You need to calm down," Fin told him

"I'm fine," Elliot lied, coolly.

He couldn't let Fin see him lose control. Elliot vowed to say or do whatever it would take to make Harris talk. But Fin wasn't fooled.

"Man, you are fired up," Fin called him out on his lie. "I think you should let me do the interrogation."

"Not a chance," Elliot tried to keep his cool. _He's mine!_ He added silently. "I'm fine. Really. Besides, he didn't tell you anything before, what makes you think you'll get something now?"

"We have more ammo," Fin replied. "At least let me go in there with you."

"Fine," said Elliot, reluctantly. "The sooner we get this over with, the sooner I can get back to the hospital."

"Liv will be fine," Fin assured him. "There's a uniformed cop outside her room. And we have the hospital on full alert. Tucker won't get near her. She's safe."

"I thought she was safe before," said Elliot, remorsefully. "Look what happened."

"That wasn't your fault," Fin tried consoled him. "You need to stop blaming yourself."

"I know," he Elliot admitted. "But I can make it right. I have to."

"How about I ask Munch to stay with Liv?" suggested Fin. "Would that make you feel better?"

"Yea, it would actually," replied Elliot.

Fin called Munch and relayed the message.

"Munch is on his way to the hospital," Fin told Elliot.

"Good," said Elliot, slightly relieved.

They finally reached the interrogation room where the corrections officer opened the door and led them inside. Through the two-way mirror sat Harris at a table in chains and cuffs. He wore a smug grin and the usual orange prison jumpsuit. If anything he seemed more satisfied than he had the last time Fin interrogated him. Something inside told Fin that Harris wasn't going to give anything up anytime soon.

"So how are we gon-," Fin stopped short.

Elliot had already entered the room and locked the door, with only himself and Harris inside. He then grabbed a chair and wedged it under the door.

"Dammit, Stabler!" Fin yelled, tapping on the glass. "I knew something like this would happen! Just don't do anything stupid!"

Inside the interrogation room, Elliot could hear Fin yelling, but pretended to ignore him.

"Sorry, Fin," Elliot muttered to himself. "But I have to do this."

Elliot circled the table, staring down Harris hard.

"Lowell Harris," Elliot said, sternly. "Long time, no see."

"Cut the bullshit," Harris glared at him. "What do you people want from me now?"

"So do you go by Harris now?" sneered Elliot, rolling up his sleeves. "Or can I call you Carl?"

"I see someone's been doing their homework," Harris snapped.

"Oh, I could write a novel with what I got on you," Elliot quipped. "You're brother, Alan, told us quite story. He told us about your cousin, Dennis. Or do you prefer to call him Ed Tucker?"

"Alan always was a pussy," Harris scoffed. "But you should know I'm nothing like my brother. You can't make me talk so easily."

"Wanna bet?" Elliot stood behind Harris' chair and spoke into his ear. "I will make you talk if it's the last thing I do."

"Is that a threat, detective?" Harris taunted.

For a moment, Elliot neither spoke nor flinched. He simply stared Harris down like lion hunting its prey.

"So where did you come up with a name like Lowell Harris?" questioned Elliot, regaining his cool. "Did you find it laying around somewhere? Or did you steal from someone?"

"I'm not telling you shit," Harris glared at him. "Especially since you insulted my manhood! And you can't prove anything!"

"Is that what this is all about?" Elliot yelled, his temper flared, and his face red with intense fury. "You had my family killed because I made fun of that limp noodle you call a penis?"

That comment made Harris lose his temper. He stood up to lash out, but Elliot pushed him back into his seat.

"You had your cousin rape my partner!" Elliot screamed into Harris' ear. "Why? Because she humiliated you at Sealview? Because she threw your ass in jail? WHY?"

"Rape?" Harris chuckled, turning to Elliot with a twisted grin. "From what I heard, that little whore enjoyed it. I heard she was moaning and squirming like crazy."

Elliot couldn't stand to hear Harris talk that way about Olivia. A fire raged inside of him and everything turned red. He kicked Harris' chair out from under him. Elliot picked him up off the floor. He was so enraged, he did not hear Fin yelling and beating against the door.

"I'm done playing games!" Elliot roared, putting Harris in a sleeper hold. "You worthless piece of shit! Where's Tucker? WHERE IS HE?"

Elliot squeezed harder, watching Harris struggle to stay conscious.

"Not so tough now," snapped Elliot, squeezing even harder. "Are you? You sick fuck! Tell me where Tucker is! Tell me where the fuck he is!"

Suddenly the door burst open. Fin pulled Elliot away from Harris, while the corrections officer grabbed Harris, who was catching his breath.

"What's so special about that bitch?" taunted Harris, realizing Elliot's weakness. "Is she that great in the sack? I heard you two fucked like a couple of jackrabbits."

Elliot pushed Fin away and went after Harris. He punched Harris in the face knocking him and the officer down. Elliot hit him again and again. Once again, Fin pulled Elliot off Harris. The corrections officer secured Harris' cuffs and chains, then led him away.

"We'll have to do this again sometime!" he teased Elliot, as walked down the hall, his face bruised and bloody.

Fin stood between Elliot and Harris, but Elliot didn't falter. He simply stood there, knuckles all bloody, glaring at Harris as he went back to his cell.

"What the hell was that?" Fin yelled.

"I'm sorry," Elliot apologized. "I never mean for it to get that far out of control. But did you see the way he reacted when asked him about his name? I bet if we find out more about their aliases, maybe we'll find Tucker's hiding place."

"Yea, I saw it," answered Fin. "But that's not gonna stop Cragen from tearing you a new one."

**Location: SVU Squad Room.**

"Stabler!" Cragen yelled, angrily. "My office! NOW!"

"Dad's mad," mumbled Munch under his breath.

"You think so?" Elliot said sarcastically, as he smacked Munch in the head.

Elliot followed Cragen into his office. Meanwhile, Munch and Fin set to work looking into Tucker's and Harris' aliases.

"I'll take Tucker's file," offered Fin.

"Fine by me," Munch said. "I'll take Harris' file.

At that very moment, Warner walked into the squad room. TARU technician, Ruben Morales walked in beside her, carrying his laptop.

"Are Cragen and Elliot around?" she asked. "I have the results of Olivia's rape kit. By the way, how's she doing?"

Morales spoke up. "And I have video footage from Olivia's motel room from the day of the rape."

"Olivia's still in a coma." responded Fin. "Nothing has changed."

"Elliot's in Cragen's office, getting his ass chewed out," added Munch

"Not anymore," said Fin, as he watched Elliot re-enter the squad room with Cragen following behind him.

"Warner, Morales," Cragen addressed each of them. "What have you got?"

Warner and Morales exchanged looks.

"Ladies first," Morales insisted.

"Thanks. Glad to see chivalry isn't dead," Melinda turned to the rest of the unit. "Spermicide was present, meaning your he used a condom. But I was still able to get DNA. The condom broke during the rape. I found a condom fragment and semen inside of Olivia. The DNA was a perfect match to Dennis Granger. A.K.A. Ed Tucker."

"That's great, doc," Cragen complimented. "That will go a long way in helping us put him away for good."

"That's not all I found," Warner added. "His DNA was a match to twelve other rape cases. Five of which, the statute of limitations has expired."

"That's eight more rapes we can nail him for," gasped Fin. "And that's including Liv's."

"Now you just have to find him," Cragen looked over at Munch and Fin, then over at Morales. "Your turn."

Morales opened his laptop. "The convenience store across the street from the motel had a camera with a view of the motel parking lot, including the Olivia's room." He clicked on the video feed. "Here's Tucker entering. Then five minutes later, Elliot leaves."

"Biggest mistake I ever made," Elliot muttered.

Morales continued. "No one enters or leaves until about fifteen minutes later."

The unit watched the video intently as a green sports car pulled into the motel parking lot. Alan exited the car with a bag in his hand and knocked on Olivia's door.

"Well, I'll be damned!" cried Elliot. "There's Alan at our crime scene."

"He arrived after the rape," stated Morales.

"How can you tell?" Cragen inquired.

"Keep watching," Morales instructed.

Morales zoomed in on the video. The door opened and Tucker stepped out, his shirt covered in blood. Alan pulled a clean shirt out of the bag and handed it to Tucker, who then grabbed the shirt and bag, ushering Alan inside. Morales fast forwarded the video ahead ten minutes, where they saw Alan leaving the room, stuffing the bloody shirt in his bag. He then got in his car and drove away.

"Fin was right," Munch said. "Tucker had Alan help him stage the scene to make it look like a break in."

Elliot wished he never saw that footage. He clenched his fists, feeling his blood begin to boil. He wanted to wrap his hands around Tucker's neck and squeeze every ounce of life out of his body. But he restrained himself and took a breath.

"So what do we do now?" Elliot asked Cragen.

Apparently, Elliot wasn't the only one upset by the video footage. Cragen and Morales looked as if they were going to be physically ill. Fin and Munch looked as angry as Elliot felt inside. And Warner was fighting back tears.

Cragen looked at his detectives in shock. "We now have enough evidence for a search warrant. Search his place from top to bottom. And keep looking into his and Carl's aliases. Also, look into the seven other rapes cases whose limitations hasn't expired. Look for anything that stands out."

**Location: Hospital. Intensive Care Unit. One Week Later.**

Elliot stepped out of the elevator and onto the third floor which housed the ICU. He made his way down the hall to the ICU. He walked past the nurses station and towards Olivia's room when something startled him. The uniformed officer outside Olivia's room held her door open as a nurse came out wheeling a machine down the hall.

_No!_ Elliot prayed. _Please, God! No!_

His heart began to race. Why did he leave her again? Fearing the worst, he ran after the nurse.

"Excuse me," Elliot called after her, flashing his badge. "Detective Elliot Stabler, from Manhattan Special Victims Unit. What's going on? Why are you taking that out of her room? Did something happen to Olivia?"

"Detective, it's okay," the nurse assured him. "Calm down. Everything is fine."

"Then why...," Elliot started, but could find the words to continue.

"Olivia started breathing on her own," she informed him, then pointed to the machine. "I'm sorry if all this upset you. I didn't mean to give you that impression."

_Oh, thank God!_ Elliot thought to himself. That was the best news he had heard in weeks.

"It's alright," he assured her, feeling relieved. "Has she shown any other signs of waking?"

She took a deep breath. "Yes, she has. But I don't want to get your hopes up, detective. You see, it's common for comatose patients to show signs of waking. But, anything can happen to cause them to go deeper into the coma."

"I understand completely," he told her. "Thank you very much."

He proceeded to Olivia's room. He entered and sat down at her bedside. He held her hand, hoping she would squeeze it again. He wanted to believe more than anything that she would awaken from her coma. He watched her breathe softly and quietly in her sleep. It was almost as if they were back in the motel room, holding her after they made love, watching her sleep. He planted a gentle kiss on her forehead. He noticed the scar on the left side of her face was beginning to heal. And her bruises were fading.

"Mmmm," Olivia moaned in her sleep.

"Liv?" Elliot spoke softly.

"Mmmm" she moaned louder.

Her body began to tremble and tears flowed down her face as she began to cry loudly. Elliot stood up and cradled her in his arms. He realized she must be dreaming of the rape.

"Shhhh," he whispered into her ear, gently stroking her hair. "It's okay, Liv. Elliot's here. Everything is gonna be alright."

He continued to hold her until her she stopped trembling. Her crying softened to a whimper, until it ceased altogether and Olivia was once again calm. Elliot sat back down beside her.

"Come back to me, Liv," he gently urged her. "I know you're in there, fighting for your life. Open your eyes, please. I miss you so much!"

"El...Elliot..." she moaned softly. "Ohhh...Elliot...El..."

"That's right," Elliot sat up straight. "It's me, Elliot!"

Olivia gently squeezed his hand.

"Yes, Liv, come on!" he begged quietly. "Wake up! Squeeze my hand! Anything! Just come back to me! Please! I need you!"

**Will Olivia wake up? Stay tuned! More to come soon! Please feel free to read and review! Thanks so much!  
**


	9. Chapter 9

**Sorry, I took so long to update. I've been taking advantage of the beautiful weather we've been having in my area. Well, here's Chapter 9! Enjoy!**

**Location: SVU Squad Room.**

"Well, that was a waste of time," Munch griped, sitting down at his desk.

"You can say that again," Fin grumbled, throwing his jacket on the back of his chair and plopping down.

Elliot looked up at them from his computer.

"You guys didn't find anything at Tucker's place?" he guessed.

"Nope," answered Fin, putting his feet up.

Munch whirled his chair around. "Six hours of searching for nothing. It looked as if he hadn't been there in weeks. The place was dusty and dirty. Not to mention his mailbox was overflowing and there was a pile of newspapers by his door. Figures he would be too smart to leave a trail."

"Tell me about it," Fin said sarcastically. "That man is one slick son of a bitch. He used his IAB authority to put himself on our case. Just so he could stay one step ahead of us. How the fuck did we miss that?"

"We're all wondering the same damn thing," Elliot said. "And believe me when I say that is _not_ an understatement."

"And if that wasn't bad enough," added Munch. "There was no sign anyone else besides Tucker was there. No foreign prints or DNA at his place."

"What about you?" Fin asked Elliot. "Did you have better luck than we did?"

"Good question," Cragen was standing behind them.

All three detectives jumped, nearly falling out of their seats.

"Holy shit!" Fin exclaimed.

"Geez, Captain!" Elliot cried out. "Are you trying to give us a heart attack?"

"Hey, I'm still in my prime," Munch cracked. "I'd like to live a few more years, if that's okay with you."

"Enough with the wisecracks," ordered Cragen. "Do you have something or not?"

"I do," Elliot said. "First of all, I contacted Tucker's bank. He closed all of his accounts the day after he attacked Liv."

"Okay," Cragen said. "So it's safe to say he's never returning home."

"He knows were on to him," Fin assumed. "He took what he had left and is laying low till he can find a new identity to steal."

Munch spoke up. "Which means we have to find Tucker before he finds his next victim."

"Any idea where he's hiding?" Cragen questioned.

"Follow me," Elliot instructed them, getting up from his desk.

He led them to the media center in the squad room. He turned on the plasma screen and typed some words into the keyboard. Two photos popped onto the screen. Both were of young men in their twenties, wearing Marine uniforms. One had dark hair and eyes, and the other had blonde hair and blue eyes.

"Who the hell are these guys?" Cragen demanded to know.

"Meet the real Lowell Harris and Ed Tucker," Elliot stated. "Both were Marines who served in the same unit in Kuwait during the Gulf War. Both were only children, whose parents died years ago. And both were reported as going UA by the Marine Corp. after they returned from Kuwait."

"So are we thinking foul play?" Cragen questioned.

"It's possible," suggested Elliot. "Carl and Dennis murdered them and stole their identities. With Harris and Tucker's military backgrounds, it would be easy for them to get into the police academy."

"Sounds plausible," nodded Cragen. "But if Carl and Dennis murdered the real Tucker and Harris, where did they stash the bodies?"

"Maybe wherever Dennis is hiding," guessed Fin.

"Well," Elliot began, pulling up Harris and Tucker's files. "According to Harris' file, his family had a house upstate. Harris sold it before he deployed. It's been turned into a bed-and-breakfast. I guess we can rule that out."

Elliot continued searching, but nothing stood out. So he moved on to Tucker's file.

"Here's something," Elliot called out. "Tucker's family owned and operated a storage facility located just outside the city. It closed down ten years ago and has been abandoned ever since."

"Sounds like a good place to start," Cragen commented. "I want you there first thing tomorrow morning. Also, I want you to re-interview Alan. I want to know what he did with his cousin's bloody shirt. As for now, it's getting late. Go home and get some rest."

**Location: Hospital. Intensive Care Unit. The Next Day.**

Elliot sat by Olivia's bedside, holding her hand and waiting patiently for her to awaken from her coma. He had been with her all night and all morning. He talked to her, as he always did, about the latest cases and goings on at the precinct, Munch's latest conspiracies. And if he ran out of topics, he'd simply talk about the weather or whatever else he could think of. Once, Elliot swore she smiled when he reached for her hand. He took it as a sign the Olivia knew he was there, comforting her, waiting for her. As he watched her sleep, he couldn't help but admire how even comatose, she was still beautiful. He thought back to the fairy tales he used to read to Maureen and Kathleen. He thought about how the princes awoke Sleeping Beauty and Snow White with a kiss. Elliot wished he could wake Olivia with a kiss. He leaned close and planted a gentle kiss on her soft, sweet lips. He waited but nothing happened. He felt silly, thinking that for a moment it would work. He was tired after all. It had been a long day.

"I'll be right back, Liv," Elliot whispered in her ear. "I'm going to get more coffee. I'll be right down the hall."

He kissed her hand and stood up. Elliot stretched and yawned, then left the room. He stopped outside her door and turned to the uniformed officer guarding Olivia's room.

"Just going down the hall for coffee," Elliot said. "Do you want a cup?"

"Sure," replied the officer. "Thanks."

"No problem," Elliot told him. "Cream? Sugar?"

"Both," answered the officer.

Elliot made his way down the hall to a small room at the end of the hall. In the room were four vending machines lined up against the wall to the right of the door. A small table was against the wall next to the vending machines, across from the door. Sitting on the table were two coffee makers, one holding a pot of regular coffee, the other holding decaf. In the center of the room were two tables, each surrounded by four chairs. Elliot pulled two foam cups out of the bag next to the coffee maker. He poured regular coffee into both and added the necessary amounts of cream and sugar. He stirred the ingredients, then picked up the cups and made his way back to Olivia's room.

He handed the officer a cup.

"Thanks again," the officer took a sip.

Elliot was about to say something when the both heard a scream come from Olivia's room. Both Elliot and the officer rushed into the room at lightning speed. There on the bed was Olivia, awake, sitting upright, and screaming. Her eyes were wide with fear, tears flowing down her face.

"HELP!" she shrieked. "SOMEBODY HELP ME!"

Elliot rushed to her side. Olivia was dazed and confused. The last thing she remembered was Tucker attacking her. Now she was looking around a hospital room. Elliot was holding her in his arms, trying to calm her down.

"It's okay, Liv," he spoke softly and gently. "I'm here. You're safe now. No one is going to hurt you. Calm down."

Olivia turned to see Elliot staring at her. Her screaming turned into a whimper as she stared into his crystal blue eyes. She had missed those eyes so much.

"El?" she whimpered, touching his face and realizing he wasn't a dream. "Oh, El! It's really you!"

She threw her arms around him and cried on his shoulder.

"Yes, it's me," he comforted her. "Oh, Liv! I'm so glad you're alive!"

Elliot cradled Olivia in his arms, gently stroking her hair as she trembled in his arms. Her head felt as if someone was pounding it with a hammer. She breathed deeply, closed her eyes and tried to relax, but all she could see was Tucker's face hovering above her, taunting her. His warm breath on her neck as he panted and grunted. She could feel him inside her, torturing her with pleasure. Olivia shuddered, her eyes snapped open. She tried to make sense of everything happening in her mind and in reality. What seemed like a million questions raced through her mind.

"How long was I unconscious?" Olivia, inquired, searching for the right words, but finding it difficult to speak. "What happened after...? And where is...?

"Take it easy," Elliot voice was warm and comforting. "You were in a coma for nearly three weeks. Just lay back and rest. We don't have to do this now. How are you feeling? Are you in any pain?"

"My head hurts," Olivia touched the left side of her head, running her fingers over the scar. "And I don't want to wait. I need answers now."

"Liv, don't be like this," Elliot gently pleaded. "You've been through enough already."

"Stop that," she told him as she pushed him away. "If I was any other victim, you'd be trying to get my statement while it's still fresh in mind. Don't treat me any differently just because of our relationship."

As much as he hated to admit it, she was right. He wasn't sure if he could handle hearing the details of her attack. But he knew it would hurt her more. The last thing he wanted to do was cause her pain by making her relive that horrific day.

"Are you sure about this?" Elliot asked her. "You literally just came out of a coma. The stress could affect your recovery."

"Yes, I'm sure," Olivia insisted. "I want to do this. I need to."

"Okay," he gave in, reluctantly. He then proceeded to question her as he would any victim. "What can you remember from the attack?"

As Olivia began speak, recalling details of her attack, she felt confident. But the more details she remembered, the more unstable she felt. She would pause every now and then, sobbing and shaking. At that point, Elliot would comfort her and try to convince her to save their conversation for another time. But Olivia remained persistent. She knew it had to be done. Meanwhile, Elliot could feel his temper flaring with every detail of Olivia's rape. He swore when he found Dennis, Elliot would make him wish he were dead. When Olivia finally finished, she sat quietly weeping, staring blankly into space.

"I know this wasn't easy," Elliot put his arm around her. "But you did great. You're very brave, Liv. Do you have any idea how hard it is for a victim to talk about their attack so soon after it has happened?"

"I do now," Olivia wiped away tears. "Now it's your turn, El. Fill me in on what's happening. Please."

Elliot updated her on all the case details. He told her about Alan's interview, and Tucker's real identity. He even told her about the evidence they had against him, the video footage, the bloody shirt, and Alan's testimony.

"What about my rape kit?" she asked. "They did do one, right?"

"Yes, they did," he answered. "We're still waiting for the results."

He felt terrible about lying to Olivia, but it was too late to take it back now. Also, he was afraid if he told her the truth, she would feel as if she had been violated all over again. He continued updating her. When he told her that Dennis was still in the wind, Olivia became uneasy.

"What if he comes to the hospital?" she panicked. "He knows I'm here."

"Don't you worry," he assured her. "I'll kill him before I ever let him come near you. And besides, there's a uniformed officer posted outside your room. Also, the hospital is on full alert."

Elliot then told her about the storage facility owned by Dennis' alias, Tucker. And that he, Munch, and Fin would be searching there the following morning. But that didn't relieve Olivia's anxieties. She continued to worry.

"What if he's not there?" Olivia asked, panic stricken. "What if he's waiting for me when I leave the hospital?"

"Let me worry about that," he consoled her. "You just concentrate on getting better. Whatever happens tomorrow, Munch, Fin, and I will take care of it. And you're not leaving the hospital just yet. We'll figure out what to do when the time comes."

Elliot embraced Olivia and kissed her forehead. She looked up and gazed into his sky blue eyes.

"I thought I'd never see those eyes again," Olivia sighed.

"God, I've missed you," Elliot smiled.

Elliot sweetly stroked Olivia's hair, as he held her in his arms. She rested her head on his shoulder, her emotions running rampant. Her mind was still piecing everything together like a giant jigsaw puzzle. She tried her hardest to relax, but she knew peace of mind wouldn't come anytime soon.

**Location: Store Moore Storage Facility.**

"Store Moore?" asked Munch, staring at the sign in front of the facility. "The family name was Tucker. Why use Moore?"

"It was his mother's maiden name," explained Elliot. "The real Ed Tucker's mother. It was her family's business. When she married Tucker's father, her parents passed the business onto them."

Elliot, Fin, and Munch walked up the concrete steps to the storage facility. An office building stood in front of the facility. The facility itself consisted of six long rows of storage units. Each row consisted of fifty units, in which twenty-five units were lined back to back against twenty-five more units. Altogether, they had three hundred units to search through, plus the main office building in front. All six rows were completely surrounded by a twenty foot high iron fence.

"We are definitely going to need back up," said Fin, surveying the facility. "Ain't no way in hell we're searching this place by ourselves."

"I second that, my brother," agreed Munch, pulling out his phone and dialing Cragen's number.

The three of them walked to the gate guarding the facility. The gate was built to slide open when customers wanted to gain entrance to their units. What baffled the detectives was how to open the gate. There was no keypad, or lever, or anything that would allow them entrance inside.

"Back up is on the way," Munch hung up his phone and looked up at the fence towering above them. "I say we draw straws to see who gets to climb over."

"Or we could cut a hole in the fence," suggested Fin. "There's a toolbox in the car."

"Maybe there's a button inside the office," Elliot pointed to the office. "If not, then we'll cut a hole in the fence. Unless Munch really wants climb."

"Why me?" Munch asked.

"You suggested it," Fin and Elliot replied in perfect unison.

The detectives made their way over to the office door, only to find another challenge awaiting them.

"Dammit!" Munch exclaimed. "There's a padlock on the door. Now how are we gonna get in?"

"That's what guns are for, genius," quipped Fin. "Now back up! Both of you!"

It took Fin four shots to break the padlock off the door.

"I was gonna suggest using bolt cutters," Elliot stared at the broken padlock on the door. "But that works too."

Once they were inside, they split up and began searching. The main office building consisted of an office, with a kitchen area in back, and a small bathroom. The office itself took up most of the building. So Elliot and Fin searched the office. Meanwhile Munch took the kitchen and bathroom.

"So I hear Liv woke up last night," Fin said to Elliot as he searched through a file cabinet. "How is she doing?"

"She's alive. Thank God," Elliot searched through the desk. "But she's really shaken up."

Elliot and Fin continued searching, while Elliot gave Fin the details of Liv's statement. Neither could think of anything more to say, so they just searched in silence. Munch emerged from the kitchen area, holding his nose.

"Whatever you do, stay away from the kitchen," His voice was muffled. "Smells like something died in there! Let's just hope the bathroom isn't as bad."

Elliot brushed away some papers on the desk to find a two buttons, one red and one green, built into the desk. He assumed green was to open the gate and red was to shut the gate. He firmly pressed down on the green button. Suddenly, there was a loud clanging noise as the rusty iron gates slowly slid open. The noise was so loud and ear-piercing the detectives had to cover their ears. When it finally stopped, Fin spoke.

"Are we done in here?" he asked. "Is back up here yet?"

"No back up yet," answered Elliot. "But we've done all we could in here. How about you, Munch?"

"Nothing in the kitchen," replied Munch. "Let me just take a peek in the bathroom and then we can leave."

Munch turned the nob and slowly opened the bathroom door a little.

"DAMN!" Fin exclaimed.

"HOLY SHIT!" Elliot cried out.

The entire office building was immediately fill with the stench of septic tank that had not been cared for in years. The odor was so intoxicating, their nostrils felt as if the were on fire and their stomachs churned. All three detectives made a mad dash for the exit. They ran to some bushes on the side of the building where they began to vomit.

"Munch, I ought to kick your ass!" moaned Elliot.

"I realize now that padlock was on the door for a reason," groaned Munch.

Fin held his stomach. "I'll keep that mind for next time."

All three detectives exchanged looks. The thought of a "next time" made their stomachs flip. Once again, they vomited into the bushes. By the time they finished and cleaned themselves off, back up had arrived. Leading the way up to the storage facility was Cragen himself, along with Warner and Morales.

"What's wrong with you guys?" asked Cragen, noticing how green his detectives looked.

Fin explained what happened in the office. Then Cragen split them into teams. Cragen and his team were assigned to the first row. Elliot was assigned to the second row. Fin took the third row. And Morales and Warner took the last two rows. They all grabbed walkie talkies, bolt cutters, and whatever necessary tools, and began to search the units.

Fin must have been on his seventh or so unit, when he cut off the lock and slid the door open. Laying inside the unit was a pile of bones in one corner.

"Captain?" Fin called in on his walkie talkie. "I found something."

"Really?" answered Cragen. "So did Munch and Elliot."

**More to come soon! Please feel free to read and review!**


	10. Chapter 10

**Location: Hospital.**

"You ready?" Elliot asked Olivia.

"I've been ready since I awoke from my coma," she called as she emerged from the bathroom.

She stepped out dressed in blue jeans, a beige camisole tank top, and a brown cardigan. Her hair was neatly brushed, and her face adorned with make up. Olivia walked over to the bed and sat down as she tucked away her brush and make up inside a black duffel bag sitting on the chair next to the bed. She looked up to see Elliot grinning at her. Just like old times.

"What?" Olivia inquired, even though she was sure she already knew.

"You look beautiful," he complimented her.

"This is the way I always look," she zipped up her bag. "You've never said anything about it before."

"I know," he stood up and grabbed her duffel bag. "It's just...well its a fresh change from watching you sleep these past few weeks. It's nice to see you returning to normal. I've missed it."

"Maybe on the outside," she confessed. "But on the inside I've got a long way to go before I get my life back. Even so, part me isn't sure I'll ever get it back."

"Yes, you will," Elliot put her bag down and sat next to her. He took her hand and held it in his own. "It's gonna take some time though. And I'll be here for you every step of the way. A good friend once made the same promise to me. And I have to say, I don't think I'd be where I'm at today if it hadn't been for her."

Olivia smiled and gazed into Elliot's eyes as she thought of the promise she made to Elliot when he lost his family. As she became lost in his ocean blue eyes, Elliot leaned in and kissed her. Olivia closed her eyes as she kissed him back. For a moment it was wonderful, but then Dennis Granger's image popped into her mind, causing her to pull away from Elliot.

"I'm sorry," she whimpered, trembling. "I can't..."

Her voice trailed off.

"It's okay," he put his arm around her. "I'm sorry too. I shouldn't have...but...I, uh, are you okay?"

"I'm fine," Olivia lied, unconvincingly. "I just want to go home already."

"Well," Elliot started. "With Granger still in the wind, you can't go home just yet."

"I'm so tired of motel rooms!" she whined. "Not too mention I was raped and nearly killed the last time I was in one!"

"I know," he said, trying to push back the anger raging inside him. "But it's gonna be different this time. The Feds are taking over the case. Warner ran Granger's DNA through a nationwide database and it matched cases in nine states. So it's now a federal crime. You're being placed in a better hotel. But we arranged it so that either Fin, Munch, or myself will be with you at all times. We convinced the Feds that having their unfamiliar agents watching over you would affect your recovery, therefore affecting your testimony. Also, it was the only way we could stay on the case."

Before Olivia could comment, a nurse entered the room with a wheelchair.

"Are you ready?" the nurse asked Olivia, opening up the wheelchair. "Have a seat."

"Uh..., thanks," Olivia told her. "But I can walk just fine."

"Sorry, but it's standard hospital procedure," stated the nurse. "Please sit down, detective."

Olivia opened her mouth to argue, but Elliot stopped.

"Liv," he put a hand on her shoulder. "Just do what she says. I had to go through this too. I know how you feel, but there's no sense in arguing because you can't win."

"Fine," she gave up and sat down in the wheelchair.

Elliot grabbed Olivia's duffel bag and slung it over his shoulder. He followed the nurse as she wheeled Olivia out of the room and down the hall to the nurses station. There, Olivia received her discharge papers, prescriptions, and any other necessary paperwork. Then they made their way to the elevators which took them to the main floor where they proceeded out the hospital main entrance. Once outside, the nurse finally allowed Olivia to get out of the chair. Elliot escorted Olivia to his car, where they got in and finally drove off to the hotel.

At the hotel, they checked in at the concierge desk and then took the elevator to the fifth floor where Olivia's room was located. Since the Feds had more money, they had arranged for Olivia to stay in a suite, under a false name, of course. The suite was more like an apartment, complete with one bedroom the size of the motel room she had stayed in before. There was even a living room, a bathroom, a kitchen, and a small dining area with a table and four chairs.

"We brought your stuff over from the motel room," Elliot handed her the duffel bag. "It's all in the bedroom. I'm gonna call Cragen to let him know we made it here safely."

Olivia took the bag from him and walked into the bedroom. She unpacked the duffel bag along with the rest of her belongings and put them away. Once she was settled, she plopped down on the bed. She sighed deeply and closed her eyes. It felt so good to lay in a normal bed. Although she wished more than anything to be in her own bed in her own apartment. She started to relax and before she knew it, she had fallen asleep. She dreamed.

_It was night, and Olivia found herself walking down an empty street. Not a single car or pedestrian was in sight. No street vendors, no street performers, nor any homeless. It was barren, and quieter than a cemetery. She also noticed there were no street lights. It was so dark she could barely see in front of her, but somehow she kept on walking. Something willed her to keep moving forward. She had no idea where she was going. All she knew was that wherever she was going, she had this feeling she needed to get there._

_ "Olivia," a familiar voice called from behind her. "You can't hide from me forever."_

_ She spun around only to find an empty street behind her. She spun around again. Still no one there._

_ "Who's there?" Olivia called out into the darkness._

_ She instinctively reached for her gun but it wasn't there. Suddenly, she felt helpless and afraid, but tried not to let it show._

_ "You know who I am," the voice taunted her. "You'll never forget me as long as you live."_

_ Olivia finally recognized the voice. It was Dennis Granger. She turned around, searching up and down the dark street, but couldn't find him._

_ "You're wrong!" she shouted, confidently. "I will move on and forget about you. You, on the other hand, will rot in a prison cell. And you will think of me every day for the rest of your miserable life!"_

_ Granger's voice chuckled menacingly. His chuckle echoed throughout the street, filling Olivia's ears. It was so powerful Olivia thought her eardrums would burst._

_ "You wanna bet?" he scoffed._

_ A strong force pulled her down as the scene suddenly changed. The street disappeared altogether and was replaced by the motel room. Olivia was laying on the bed, naked. Granger's figure towered over her. She tried to fight him, but found herself unable to move. He sensed her fear and grinned sinisterly as he watched her struggle to move. He easily nudged her legs apart and entered her body. Olivia opened her mouth to scream, but no sound came out._

_ "I own you," he whispered in her ear, as he stroked her hair. "I have a piece of you. And as long as I have it, you're mine, bitch!"_

_ He grunted and panted louder as his thrusts became more powerful. He wrapped his hands around her neck and squeezed hard. Olivia struggled to breathe and to fight him off, but she was still unable to move or scream. Granger continued to thrust harder and faster as he wrapped his hands tighter around Olivia's neck._

"AAAAAAAAHH!" Olivia screamed as she awoke, cold and drenched in sweat.

Elliot burst through the door to find Olivia on the bed, crying and shivering with fright. He ran to her side and cradled her in his arms.

"It's okay," he comforted her. "It was just a dream."

"It felt so real," she rested her head on his shoulder and wept.

"Do you want to tell me about it?" asked Elliot, although he felt he already knew.

Olivia nodded and sat up. She told him all about her dream.

"I'm not sure I can do this," Olivia confessed, sobbing and looking down at her hands.

"Yes, you can," Elliot lifted her face to his and looked her in the eyes. "Do you have any idea how strong you are? Liv, you are fearless. You've helped a countless number of victims over the years. Not too mention you've put away God knows how many perps. And you've had more than your own share of troubles that you overcame, and you still standing here."

"But this time the perp is still out there!" she cried. "And he's probably watching me from somewhere, waiting to make his move!"

"And we will find him," he assured her.

"You said the same thing before you searched the storage facility," she reminded him. "And he wasn't there."

"I know," he remembered. "Just because he wasn't there doesn't mean we won't find him eventually. And the guys and I aren't giving up until he's behind bars. Liv, don't do this to yourself. You're gonna get through this."

"I'll try," she whimpered.

"That's all I ask," he kissed her forehead. "You should really speak to a counselor. It might help."

"I will," Olivia told him. "Just as soon as all this is over and I can go back home."

"Good," he smiled. He changed the subject to try to ease her mind. "I don't know about you, but I'm starving. How about we order some room service?"

"Sure," she answered, quietly.

**Location: SVU Squad Room.**

"Munch! Fin!" called Cragen as he walked to their desks. "Have we got names to any of the bodies?"

"Still working on it," replied Fin. "CSU is still running DNA. Fin and I are going through the missing persons database."

"And we're gonna be here for a while," groaned Munch, as he hung up the phone. "That was CSU. No hits yet, but they've finished sorting through all the bodies."

"How many bodies are talking about?" inquired Cragen.

"Thirty-four bodies," Munch answered. "Thirty-two women and two men, most likely the real Harris and Tucker. Some of the bodies were recent, maybe several weeks. And there are others that are likely years old. Which means Granger has been using his IAB authority to rape and kill for years."

"Has anyone re-interviewed Alan yet?" asked Cragen. "We need to know what he did with that bloody shirt."

"He was supposed to come in earlier this morning," Fin responded. "But he didn't show. And I've been calling him, but getting nothing but voicemail. I'm thinking Granger scared him off."

"And I'm thinking you're not far off," said a familiar voice.

Cragen and his two detectives turned around to see FBI Agent Dana Lewis entering the squad room and walking toward them.

"You're the FBI agent assigned to this case?" asked Munch.

"I requested the assignment," replied Dana. "You all helped me catch my rapist. Now I'm here to help you catch yours."

"Okay, then," said Cragen. "What do you mean we're not far off? Do you know something we don't?"

"Yep," she confirmed. "Alan Grady is dead. My agents went to question him last night and found him dead in his hotel room. He was stabbed to death. His body is now at our lab and we're still processing the crime scene."

"But I talked to him last night," Fin told her.

"What time?" Dana asked.

"Around seven o'clock," Fin answered.

"My people got there at nine," she said, thinking out loud. "Which puts time of death anywhere in that two-hour window."

"You thinking Granger killed him?" suggested Munch.

"I'm thinking it," Dana responded. "But I can't prove it."

Cragen had a sudden thought and spoke up. "If Granger did indeed find out where we stashed Alan and killed him, then that means he may know where Liv is. We have to move her."

"And we will," Dana assured him. "Tonight. Detectives Stabler and Benson are supposed to meet me here. We're gonna move Benson to an FBI safe house outside the city. Are they here yet?"

"We're here now," answered Elliot, as if on cue.

He and Olivia entered the squad room and joined the rest of the unit and Dana at Munch and Fin's desks.

"So, what's the plan?" Elliot inquired.

"Well," Dana began. "My car is parked out back by the emergency exit, along with three other agents' cars. You and Benson will ride with me. One car will drive in front of me and the other two will drive on either side of us. And I'll need Munch and Fin to follow behind us."

"Sure. No problem,"agreed Munch and Fin.

With that, Elliot, Munch, and Fin left the precinct and went to their cars. Dana escorted Olivia out the back exit of the precinct.

"How are you holding up?" asked Dana, noticing that Olivia had been particularly quiet that evening.

"I don't know," Olivia spoke quietly, staring into space. "Some days I'm okay. Other days, I'm an emotional wreck. I just want this whole thing to be over so I can move on with my life."

"We're gonna find the bastard," Dana assured her as they walked down a flight of stairs. "Don't you worry. And when we do find him, he's a dead man. Seriously, we have enough evidence to put a needle in his arm. His body farm at the storage unit, the video footage, DNA and prints from the Stabler residence, DNA from your rape kit-"

"My rape kit?" Olivia looked up. "But Elliot told me it wasn't back yet."

"It came back while you were in your coma," Dana stated. "Why would he tell you it wasn't back yet?"

Dana saw the troubled look on Olivia's face and realized she said the wrong thing. She put her hand on Olivia's shoulder and tried to console her.

"He lied to me!" Olivia gasped. "How could he? And why?"

Olivia didn't know whether she felt more angry or hurt. But she knew one thing for sure. She felt utterly betrayed.

"Look," Dana spoke gently. "Maybe he was trying to protect you. I don't know. But either way it was wrong of him not to tell you."

Dana realized nothing she said was helping. For Olivia remained silent and stared down at her hands.

"I can see that I'm not helping, am I?" Dana put one hand on the door. "I think I'll just shut up now."

"No!" Olivia spoke up suddenly. "My rape kit. I want to know the results. Tell me. I need to know."

"As I said before," Dana began. "We obtained DNA-"

"DNA?" Olivia interrupted her. "As in hairs? Or skin or blood?"

"No," continued Dana. "DNA as in semen."

"No," Olivia shook her head. "No, that's impossible. He used a condom. I saw him pull it out of his pocket and put it on before he raped me."

"And it broke during the rape," Dana informed her. "The rape kit found a condom fragment and semen inside of you."

"Are you sure?" asked Olivia, completely shocked.

"Yes," answered Dana, solemnly.

"Oh, God!" Olivia gasped and shuddered, tears forming in her eyes.

Dana suddenly realized something.

"Olivia," Dana said. "Were you given the morning after pill at the hospital at any time?"

"No," Olivia replied. "I was in a coma for three weeks. And besides, it was too late anyway. I was supposed to have taken it within seventy-two hours of the rape."

Frightening thoughts overwhelmed Olivia's mind. Could she really be pregnant? Just the thought of Granger's baby growing inside of her devastated her.

"It's gonna be okay," Dana saw the look of distress on Olivia's face.

"What if I'm pregnant?" she sobbed, her body trembling. "I can't have his baby! I just can't!"

"Let's not worry about this now," Dana insisted. "Let's just concentrate on getting you the safe house and getting you settled in for the night. Tomorrow I'll get you a home pregnancy test. And then we'll figure it out from there. Okay?"

"Okay," Olivia nodded silently. "Thanks, Dana."

"No problem, honey," Dana gave her a hug. "Now let's get moving."

Dana opened the door and escorted Olivia outside. There they met up with Dana's team of FBI agents and Elliot, Munch, and Fin. Elliot opened the car door for Olivia, who stepped inside without looking at Elliot. She was still way too upset with him for lying to her. Elliot noticed something was bothering her but he figured it was her usual anxieties and the stress of being moved again. He felt that it wasn't the right time or place to ask her. He decided he would talk to her when they were settled at the safe house.

"Is everybody ready?" Dana asked the team.

They all nodded and got into their assigned vehicles.

"Hey, Dana," called Elliot. "Do you mind if I drive? It's not that I don't trust you. It's just every time I'm near you, I get hurt."

"As a matter of fact," Dana answered. "I do mind. Now get your ass in the car. We don't have time for petty arguments."

"It was worth a shot," he said, getting in the car. "Can you just promise me that you'll get us there in one piece?"

"Don't you worry your pretty little head," she chuckled, starting the car.

They drove through the city in formation. Olivia was seated in the back seat, silent and staring out the window. She spoke not a word nor did she look at Elliot during the entire car ride as they continued on their way to the safe house.

**Stay tuned! More to come soon! Please feel free to read and review!**


	11. Chapter 11

**Location: FBI Safe House.**

Olivia sat at the table staring into space, pushing her eggs and bacon around on the plate with her fork. She didn't sleep much the night before. Her thoughts and emotions had kept her awake all night, weeping silently. Her hair was a mess and her eyes were puffy and red. She still couldn't look Elliot in the face. He had been trying to talk to her since last night. At least then she was able to brush him off by telling him she was tired. But now there was no beating around the bush. Dana had told Elliot she was stepping out to get some groceries, although she and Olivia both knew she was also going to buy a home pregnancy test. So now Olivia was left alone with Elliot. It was going to come out eventually, whether she wanted it to or not.

"Liv," Elliot was seated at the table across from her.

"What?" she asked, without looking up.

"Why are you being like this?" he demanded to know. "Talk to me. And don't tell me it's nothing because I know it's something. You refused to talk to me last night and today. Hell, you won't even look at me! Not too mention I heard you crying last night. What is going on with you?"

"I don't know," Olivia snapped. "Why did you lie about my rape kit?"

"Oh, I see," Elliot realized. "So who told you?"

"That's not important," she finally looked him in the eyes. "What's important is that you lied to me!"

"I'm sorry, Liv," he apologized. "I thought I was protecting you. But I was wrong."

"How could you lie to me?" she cried.

"Because," he confessed. "I thought it would hurt you to know! I've seen how some victims react to rape kits. I was afraid if I told you, then you would feel violated all over again."

"I understand that, El," Olivia responded. "But I asked you to be honest with me. And not to treat me any differently than you would any victim. But you couldn't even do that!"

Olivia stood up from the table and started to walk away, but Elliot grabbed her hand.

"Liv, please?" Elliot pleaded with her.

"I don't want to hear it anymore," she pulled her hand away from his. "I'll be in room. Let me know when Dana gets back."

She stormed up the stairs to her bedroom and locked the door. She threw herself on the bed and began to cry again. Part of her wished Elliot would comfort and hold her, but the other part of her wanted him as far away as possible. But more than anything she wished Dana would get back soon. Olivia really wanted to take the pregnancy test and get over with, yet at the same time she dreaded seeing the result. She thought about her menstrual cycle, trying to determine whether she was in fact late or not. She realized with everything that has happened lately, she hadn't been keeping track. What she really needed was a calender. She looked around. In one corner of the room stood a desk, which Olivia thought seemed like a good enough place to keep a calender. As she searched, Elliot knocked on the door.

"Liv, are you okay?" he asked.

"No!" she yelled. "Leave me alone!"

"I really am sorry," he called. "Please talk to me, Liv. You can't possibly stay in there all day. You gotta come out sometime."

"Just leave already!" Olivia shouted.

"Fine," Elliot reluctantly gave up. "I'm here when you're ready to talk. I'll check on you again in a little while."

He went back downstairs, and Olivia went back to searching. But there was no calender in the desk. Then she remembered there was a calender on her cell phone. She pulled it out of her pocket and flipped it open. She scrolled through the menu and opened the calender. She checked the date and then did the math in her head. Olivia realized she was over two weeks late.

"No, no, no, no!" Olivia broke down in tears again.

She sat on the bed and hugged her knees as she wept. What if she really was pregnant? Olivia wasn't sure if she could handle it. The thought of carrying her rapist's child made her feel completely disgusted with herself. She could never put a child through what her own mother had put her through. And she didn't feel too strongly about abortion, yet at the same time, she didn't completely object to it either.

Suddenly, Olivia began to feel suffocated. Her heartbeat sped up and she started hyperventilating. She rushed to the window and threw it open. She let the cool breeze wash over her face as she breathed in some fresh air. She closed her eyes as she tried to breathe slowly and deeply. She tried to clear her mind of all her worries and think of better things to calm her down. Olivia thought of the rare happy moments she had in her life. But mostly she thought of Elliot. Her mind drifted back to that special night in the motel room. She remembered laying in his arms after they made passionate love, gazing lovingly into each others eyes. She wished that night could have lasted forever.

Olivia opened her eyes. A sudden thought occurred to her. She and Elliot had made love a week before she was raped. If she was indeed pregnant, the baby could very well be Elliot's. That fact gave her a little relief. But she still couldn't help but worry. She decided to talk to Elliot. He deserved to know that she may possibly be carrying his child. After all he'd been through, she couldn't keep that from him. But first, she wanted to take a shower. She felt icky and as though her skin were crawling. She knew a shower would calm her down. She opened the door and went downstairs.

Elliot was sitting in the living room in an armchair facing the stairs. He put down his newspaper when heard Olivia coming down. He became deeply concerned. She looked worse than she did at breakfast.

"Liv," he started to say in a gentle manner.

"I'm sorry," Olivia threw her arms around him and sobbed.

"I'm sorry too," Elliot cradled her and stroked her hair. "I'll never lie to you again."

Even though she had gone only a day without speaking to him, Olivia missed his touch. It felt so good to be in his arms again. She took a deep breath as she felt her body start to relax.

"I appreciate that," she spoke softly. "Even though I understand why you did."

"You don't have to talk now if you don't want to," he comforted her. "I should've never tried to force you."

"It's alright," she forgave him. "I should've talked to you. I need to talk to you. But I just want to shower first. I feel like my skin is crawling. Not to mention all this moving around has seriously got me on edge."

"I know how you feel," he kissed her forehead. "But go ahead. And take as long as you need. I'll be in the kitchen waiting for you."

Olivia let go of Elliot and went into the bathroom. She turned on the faucet and let the bathtub fill with water. She was about to undress when she realized there were no towels in the bathroom. Then she remembered that there was a closet in the hall. She left the bathroom and wandered over to the closet.

"Liv?" Elliot called, hearing the noise she was making. "Is that you? Everything alright?"

"Yea, I'm fine," she confirmed. "Just getting a fresh towel from the closet."

"Just making sure," he called.

She opened it to find plenty of fresh towels inside. Olivia reached in and pulled one out. But as she was about to shut the closet door, she felt a sharp pain in her shoulder. Suddenly, all of her limbs became numb and she fell to the floor. She tried to cry out, but couldn't open her mouth, or even make a sound. Towering above her, was Dennis Granger, smiling wickedly and holding a syringe in his hand. He leaned over her.

"Hello, Detective" he whispered into her ear. "Miss me?"

**Location: Outside The City.**

Dana checked her mirrors, making sure she wasn't being followed then turned down a half hidden dirt road. At the end of the road she pulled into the driveway of the safe house and turned off the ignition. She grabbed the groceries and a smaller bag containing a home pregnancy test and exited the car. Inside the house, she found Elliot in the kitchen, sipping coffee and reading a newspaper.

"Hey," she greeted him. "Where's Olivia?"

"In the shower," he answered. "She needed to relax. She had a rough morning. Here, let me help you with those."

He took a few bags from her.

"Oh, honey," she started putting away groceries. "The poor woman had a rough night."

"You heard her crying too?" Elliot assumed.

"Yea," she said, but she was also referring to something else.

Once Dana and Elliot put away the groceries, Dana grabbed the small bag containing the home pregnancy test and went over to the bathroom.

"Olivia?" she knocked on the door. "I got the thing you asked me to get."

Dana didn't speak loudly because she didn't want Elliot to overhear. She was sure Olivia didn't want Elliot to know anything. Also, Dana wasn't sure if Olivia had spoken to Elliot since last night. When she didn't get a response, Dana knocked again.

"Olivia?" she called again, this time a little louder. "Is everything alright in there?"

Still no answer. Dana started to worry. She raised her hand to knock again when she felt her feet becoming wet inside her shoes. She looked down to see a puddle of water coming from under the bathroom door. The puddle had surrounded her feet and was growing, making its way down the hall. Panic-stricken, Dana threw open the door.

"Elliot!" Dana yelled. "Get in here! Now!"

Dana dropped the bag as she stepped through the flooded bathroom to turn off the faucet of the overflowing bathtub. The bathroom was a mess, but there was no sign of Olivia anywhere.

"What the hell happened?" Elliot cried out as he burst into the bathroom. "Where's Liv?"

"You tell me!" Dana demanded. "You were the one watching her!"

"How could this have happened?" Elliot tried to make sense of the situation. "She was in the bathroom the whole time!"

"Are you sure she didn't come out at all?" Dana questioned him.

"Once," he remembered. "She went to get a fresh towel out of the closet. I peeked into the hallway and saw the door open. I asked her if she was okay and she said she was fine."

Elliot retraced Olivia steps from the bathroom to the closet. He opened the closet door and stood for a moment, thinking how Olivia could have been taken. That's when it hit him.

"Dana, look at the door," he showed her as he held it open. "When it's open it blocks the hallway. Son of a bitch grabbed Liv when she was searching for a towel. He knew I wouldn't be able to see him."

"That makes sense," Dana nodded.

"But how the hell did he get her out of the house?" Elliot asked himself.

"How did he even know she was here?" Dana wondered out loud.

"He's a cop," Elliot reminded her. "He knows how to follow without being seen."

He looked around the hall, for any clues. But there was nothing.

"There's no sign of a struggle," Elliot noticed. "He must have incapacitated her somehow. She didn't scream for me."

He turned around looking for Dana, but she wasn't in the hallway anymore.

"Elliot!" she called. "You need to see this!"

He followed her voice into the back bedroom next to the bathroom. Dana was putting a pair of latex gloves. Elliot followed her example and did the same.

"He came in and then left through the window," Dana pointed to the open window behind her. "And this is what he used to incapacitate her. He must have dropped it as he carried Olivia out the window."

She held up an empty syringe.

"I'll call my team," Dana pulled out her phone and began dialing.

"And I'll call my captain," Elliot took out his phone and dialed Cragen's number.

**Location: SVU Squad Room.**

"Yo Munch!" called Fin. "What the hell are you doing? You're supposed to be helping me identify these bodies."

"I am," Munch called back. " I was also just trying to figure out where Granger might be hiding."

"Did you find anything?" asked Fin.

"Not yet," replied Munch. "There are no more clues in the real Tucker's and Harris' files. And I don't know where else to look."

"There's gotta be something," Fin said. "Maybe we overlooked something."

"I thought the same thing," Munch told him. "I can't tell you how many times I went through their files."

"Let me look now," Fin insisted. "You take over the body ID's."

Before either of them got started, Cragen stormed out of his office and into the squad room.

"We got a problem," Cragen informed them. "Granger sneaked into the safe house and abducted Liv. We need to know where he's going with her and fast! Elliot is on line two. Put him on speaker."

Munch picked up the receiver and pushed the blinking red button. Then he pushed the button marked "Speaker" and placed the receiver back in its cradle.

"Elliot," Munch spoke aloud. "We got you on speaker. What's happening?"

Elliot updated them on the situation.

"Please tell me you've figured out where he's going," Elliot pleaded.

"No such luck, my friend," Munch told him. "Has Dana and her FBI buddies found anything?"

"Not yet," Elliot answered. "She's still in the phone with them. She has her guys checking for recently rented or stolen vehicles."

"I think I got something," interrupted Fin, as he hung up his phone. "All this time we've been looking in his alias' background, but we haven't looked at Granger's Canadian record since we first suspected him."

"What did you find?" Elliot asked.

"I just spoke Canadian authorities from Granger's hometown," began Fin. " I came up with two places. The house where his parents died is still standing, but it's condemned. I guess no one wanted it after what happened, and it fell apart over the years. The second, is the Grady residence. The bank foreclosed on it after Carl and Alan's parents died. It's still sitting there empty."

"He's taking her home," Cragen realized.

"Of course," added Munch. "It makes sense he'd want to take her somewhere personal."

"Text me the addresses," Elliot instructed Fin.

"Munch, Fin, alert Border Patrol and Canadian authorities," ordered Cragen. "Elliot, bring Olivia back to us."

"Will do, Captain," said Elliot. He then addressed Dana. "Pack your bags. We're going to Canada."

**Stay tuned! More to come soon! Please feel free to read and review!**


	12. Chapter 12

**Sorry, I took so long to update. I meant to have this posted sooner, but I've had a lot to deal with recently. Well, here it is. Enjoy!**

**Location: Unknown.**

Olivia lay in the backseat of a car still unable to move, no matter how hard she tried. Her limbs dangled off the seat. She now realized Granger had injected her with some sort of paralytic agent. And she had no idea how long it would take to wear off. Granger was seated in the driver's seat. Where he was taking her, she had no idea. Olivia's cop instincts kicked in and she kept her eyes and ears open, hoping for any sign of where they were going. Due to her temporary immobility, she could only see the back of the driver's seat and the floor beneath it. There was a pocket on the back of the seat, which contained several maps, pens, and pencils. On the floor were some food wrappers and receipts, and other bits of trash. Olivia could hear Granger listening to a police scanner. She could also hear many other cars whizzing by. And judging by how fast Granger was driving, she guessed they were on a highway. Suddenly, Granger swerved quickly to the right.

"Fuck!," he shouted out the window. "You're supposed to signal when you change lanes! Jackass!"

Granger looked into his rearview mirror at Olivia in the backseat.

"Don't worry," he taunted her. "We'll be home soon."

She thought to herself. What did he mean by "home?" Olivia was sure they weren't in the city anymore. So it couldn't mean his alias', Tucker's home. That's when it came to her. They were going to Granger's home in Canada. She had to prevent him from getting there at all costs. It was only about an eight hour drive to Canada, and they had been driving for several hours already. As she thought, Olivia felt her toes begin to twitch. She realized she was getting the feeling back in her body. She slowly lifted her head slightly, just enough to see that Granger's eyes were still facing the road. She needed him to think she was still paralyzed. She continued slowly moving her arms and legs until she got the full feeling back in all of her limbs. She stopped when she saw Granger turn up the volume on the police scanner.

"Shit!," he cried out when he heard the dispatcher say Olivia's name and his own, alerting state police of her abduction and where they were heading.

Granger made a sudden left turn. Olivia lifted her head and neck ever so slightly and peeked out the window above her legs. She watched him pull into a rest stop parking lot. She laid her head back down and began to formulate a plan in her mind. Granger drove around the parking lot for several minutes before he finally stopped. Olivia laid in the backseat completely still, as he turned off the ignition and and removed the police scanner and put it into a dark blue duffel bag. He exited the car and opened the back door.

"Get up!" Granger pressed his gun against Olivia's head. "I know you can move. Get up! NOW!"

"Okay," Olivia's voice was shaky as she sat up. "Please. Don't shoot me."

As Granger pulled her out of the car, Olivia noticed they were parked almost behind the rest stop itself. No one would hear or see anything he said or did to her. She had to think of another plan and fast. She wondered how he knew she was able to move. Granger held onto the police scanner with one hand and pushed the gun into her back with his other hand. He guided her to a gray four-door sports car with tinted windows parked two spaces away from them. He then opened the duffel bag and pulled out a flat metal rod. He slipped the rod down in between the window and the door frame and popped the door open. He threw his duffel bag on the front passenger seat, then opened the backseat door for Olivia to get in.

"I have to use the bathroom," she spoke up.

Olivia said the first thing that came to mind. She was trying to buy some time.

"You can hold it," he snapped. "Now get in the damn car!"

Granger pressed the gun harder into her back.

"I can't," she thought quickly. "It's an emergency. Please."

"Fine," he gave in, leading her to the rest stop entrance. "You better not try anything stupid."

He firmly grasped her arm as he led Olivia inside the rest stop and to the restrooms. He held the gun inside his pocket, yet it was still pressed against Olivia's back. He stopped when they reached the restrooms.

"Make it quick," Granger ordered. "I'll be right here when you get out."

Olivia nodded and walked away into the ladies room. Once she was inside, she entered the nearest stall and quickly locked the door. She didn't have much time. She reached into the pocket of her sweatpants and pulled out a map and pen that she had slipped in there earlier when Granger wasn't looking. She opened up the map and tore off a corner. Olivia quickly wrote a note to Elliot, then folded it up and put the note back in her pocket. She knew Elliot and Dana would be looking for her and wouldn't be far behind. She flushed the toilet and left the stall.

After she washed her hands, she threw out the map and pen, then looked around for a place to hide the note. It had to be somewhere not too obvious, yet easy to find. That's when she saw it. There was a small crack in the wall on the top right corner of the tampon dispenser. She carefully tucked the note in the crack, then turned to leave when she saw a little girl, about six or seven, standing behind her, staring. She had brown hair and eyes, and wore a yellow sundress and a white headband with a yellow sunflower on it. She reminded Olivia of herself as a little girl. The girl smiled and waved at her as she walked into a stall. Olivia forced a smile back, then walked out of the restroom.

Sure enough, Granger was still there waiting for her. He grabbed her arm and quickly led her back to the car and opened the back door. He pulled another syringe out of his pocket and jabbed it into her neck. Olivia collapsed as she felt her body and limbs go numb. She became weak and dazed as everything faded to black.

**Location: Unknown**

Elliot and Dana drove down the highway to Canada as fast as the speed limit would allow them. Elliot was at the wheel, while Dana sat in the passenger seat. She had entered the addresses that Munch and Fin texted to Elliot in her GPS navigator. Elliot followed the directions as the navigator called them out, but in his mind something else was bothering him.

"What was in the bag?" he asked after several hours of driving in silence.

"What bag?" Dana played stupid.

She didn't want to betray Olivia's trust.

"You know damn well which bag," Elliot didn't fall for her game. "I saw you take it to the bathroom. What was in it that you didn't want me to see?"

"I have a better question," she snapped. "Why did you lie to Olivia about the rape kit?"

"I see you and Liv have been talking," he grumbled. "I got an earful from her this morning. So I really don't need to hear it again from you."

"So she talked to you?" Dana asked.

"Yea, if you wanna call it talking," Elliot said, his eyes fixed on the road.

He proceeded to tell Dana about their argument.

"I don't blame her for being upset," Dana sympathized.

"Neither do I," Elliot agreed. "I know I shouldn't have lied to her, but it was too late to take it back. And I've been feeling guilty about it ever since."

Dana could see it in his eyes that he was truly remorseful and that he cared a great deal for Olivia. They continued driving for several minutes in silence when Dana finally spoke up.

"It was a pregnancy test," she confessed.

"What?" he wasn't sure if he heard her correctly.

"It was a pregnancy test," she repeated. "In the bag."

Elliot sighed to himself as he began to put the pieces together. He finally realized what was really upsetting Olivia. Why didn't he realize this sooner? And why couldn't she tell him? Elliot would have helped her through this just as Olivia helped him through his family's death.

"Olivia's pregnant?" he wondered out loud.

"She might be," Dana told him. "She's scared she may be carrying Granger's child."

"But it could very well be mine," Elliot admitted.

"Excuse me?" she asked, with a surprised look.

"We had sex a week before she was raped," he confessed.

"You mean, you two are an item?" she smiled. "Well, it's about damn time."

"What's that supposed to mean?" he inquired.

"You cant fool an FBI agent," Dana smirked. "I've seen you two making goo-goo eyes at each other."

Elliot opened his mouth to say something back to her, but before he could, Dana's phone rang.

"Agent Lewis," she answered her phone. "Where?...Uh-huh...Okay...Have state troopers lock the place down. No one goes in or out. We should be there in about twenty minutes...Thanks. Bye."

"What happened?" Elliot demanded to knew.

He felt sure it had something to Olivia.

Dana grabbed the GPS. "State troopers spotted Olivia and Granger less than two hours ago at a rest stop about forty-five minutes away."

Dana put the GPS back on the dashboard and began rummaging through the glove compartment.

"But you told them we'd be there in twenty," he repeat her words from her phone conversation.

"I did," she confirmed, still searching.

"In case you haven't noticed," Elliot pointed out the window. "Traffic is getting backed up. We're never gonna make it in twenty minutes, let alone forty-five minutes."

"That's what lights and sirens are for, honey," Dana said pulling a blue dashboard light out of the glove compartment.

She turned it on as she set it on the dashboard. Suddenly, the highway was filled with flashing lights and sirens as Elliot hit the gas and sped away towards the rest stop. They made it there in just under twenty minutes. Elliot parked the car. Then he and Dana headed into the rest stop. There had to be at least a dozen or so patrol cars parked all around, guarding all the entrances and exits. There were at least ten patrolmen inside controlling the angry crowd of people wanting to get to their destinations. There were about twenty or so more patrolmen searching the rest stop for signs of Olivia and Granger.

Dana walked over to one patrolman who was searching, while Elliot went over to a patrolman controlling the crowd.

"What's happening?" Elliot asked him.

"Well," began the patrolman. "Your victim and perp are long gone. They stole a car and left theirs behind. It's a dark SUV parked in back. Another patrolman is guarding it for you guys. We're currently trying get statements from anyone who may have seen them. But as you can see, its not going too well."

"Let me try," Elliot insisted.

He cleared his throat and turned towards the crowd which was growing angrier with every minute.

"Everybody, listen up!" he yelled, holding up his badge for the crowd to see. "My name is Detective Stabler and I'm with the NYPD. I know all of you want to leave, but in order for that to happen, we need your full cooperation. And the sooner you all cooperate, the sooner we can get you out of here and on your way to wherever you need to go. Does everyone understand all of this?"

Some people in the crowd groaned, but mostly everyone nodded in agreement. As the crowd began to finally quiet down, Elliot pulled two photos out of his coat pocket. One was a photo of Olivia, and the other was Granger.

"Alright then," Elliot held up the photos. "This man and this woman were seen here not even a couple hours ago. I need to know if anyone saw them. If you have, please come forward to me or these patrolmen."

He walked around slowly, making sure everyone in the crowd saw the photos. Several patrolmen also held up photos and showed them to the crowd.

"Please," Elliot begged the crowd. "Did anyone seen them come in? Did anyone see them leave? Did anyone see which direction they were heading? Anything at all."

No one spoke up, but Elliot still continued to press the crowd for answers. There had to be at least one person who saw Olivia. He was still showing the photos when he passed a woman holding the hand of a little girl in a yellow sundress. He couldn't but think of Lizzie when he looked at the little girl. He remembered she used to have a sundress just like that when she was little. He had almost completely passed by the girl and her mother when the little girl spoke up.

"Mommy," she pointed to Olivia's photo. "I saw that lady."

Elliot rushed over to the little girl and her mother.

"Sweetheart," he spoke gently. "Did you say you saw the lady in this picture?"

"I'm not supposed to talk to strangers," she said quietly.

"I'm sorry," Elliot held up his badge again. "My name is Elliot and I'm a cop. This lady is in trouble and she needs my help. Can you tell me where you saw her?"

The little girl looked up at her mother and her mother nodded.

"She was in the bathroom," the girl told him. "But she was gone when I got out."

"Do you know what time you saw her?" Elliot questioned her. "How long ago was it?"

She look confused and looked up at her mother who answered for her.

"It was about an hour ago," she said. "I was outside the bathroom waiting for my daughter when this woman came out of the bathroom. That man was waiting for her." She pointed to Granger's photo. "She looked terrified. He grabbed her arm and dragged her away. I'm sorry, but I didn't see which direction they went."

"Thanks, maam," Elliot turned back to the girl. "Sweetie, when you were in the bathroom, did this lady say anything to you?"

"Nope," she answered. "But she looked sad and scared. So I smiled at her. My mommy says when you smile at someone who's sad, it makes them feel better and smile back."

"That's good," Elliot told her. "But did she leave after that?"

The girl shook her head. "She stuck a piece of paper behind the machine and then she left."

"What machine?" he asked. "Can you show me?"

The girl nodded, then led Elliot and her mother to the ladies room. Once inside, several ladies screamed upon seeing Elliot.

"Pervert!" one elderly woman shouted as she swung her purse at him.

Elliot put his hands up in defense, once again showing off his badge.

"It's okay, ladies!" he called out. "I'm with the NYPD!"

The ladies calmed down, but judging by the looks on their faces, they weren't too happy to see him in there. Elliot decided to be quick.

"Where's the machine?" he asked the girl.

She pointed to the tampon dispenser on the back wall of the ladies room. He went over to the wall and ran his fingers along the sides when he felt something in the top right corner. Sure enough there was a folded up piece of paper sticking out. It was just barely noticeable. He grabbed a latex glove from his pocket, slipped them on, and carefully pulled out the paper and opened it up, revealing a note written in Olivia's handwriting. Written in the note was several letters and numbers, which Elliot was sure was a license plate number. Beneath that read: _Please hurry! _And it was signed by Olivia. Under her signature was: _P.S. He has a police scanner._ Elliot thanked the girl and her mother and left the ladies room.

"Oh my Lord," Dana gasped upon seeing Elliot exit the ladies room. "I don't even want to know what you were doing in there."

"Don't be ridiculous," he said as he hung up his cell phone and held up the note. "Liv left this in there for us to find."

He explained to her about the little girl.

"Well, that's a relief," she teased him as she read the note. "You had me worried for a moment. Just please don't let me catch you in there again."

"Believe me," he assured her. "It will never ever happen again."

"This has a got to be a plate number," Dana pointed at the note.

"My thoughts exactly," agreed Elliot. "I called Munch and Fin. They're running it for us. What did you find?"

"Video footage," she answered. "From the security cameras. My guys are on their way now to collect them. Also, another witness. He saw them leave as he was pulling in. He saw Granger in the driver's seat, but no sign of Olivia."

"He knows we're onto him," said Elliot, putting the pieces together. "He must've heard everything on the police scanner. That's why he stopped. He had to change his plan."

"So he stole a car," finished Dana. "I'm guessing he hid Olivia in the trunk or the backseat. They're probably almost to the border by now."

"Border patrol has been alerted," he reminded her. "We just have to pray he doesn't find a way past them. We've done all we can here. Let's get back on the road."

Elliot and Dana told the patrolmen to cancel the lockdown. Then they headed out of the rest stop and back to the car. Before they knew it, they were back on the highway, racing to find Olivia.

**Can Elliot and Dana find Olivia before its too late? Stay tuned! More to come soon! Please feel free to read and review!**


	13. Chapter 13

**Location: Unknown.**

Olivia awoke feeling weak and disoriented. When she tried to move, she saw that she was laying in a bed. Her hands and feet were tied down with leather restraints. She was stripped down to her bra and panties with a thin blanket covering her body. She was in a hospital room that looked as if it hadn't been used in a decade. The white paint on the walls was chipping. The room smelled as if something, or someone died in there. Not to mention it was cold and drafty. The blanket was barely enough to keep Olivia warm. Dust and cobwebs covered everything from the light bulb on the ceiling, to the cracks in the walls, and all the way down to the floor. The only window in her room was across from her and had bars over it. The only other furniture was an old wooden nightstand next to her bed, and a wooden chair in a corner at the foot of her bed.

Fear and panic overcame Olivia as questions swam through her mind. How did she get here? Where was she? Was she still in the United States? Or was she in Canada? And where was Granger? Was he coming back? Or was he going to leave her here to die? Olivia didn't dare scream. If Granger was still around, he may hear her. But she knew one thing for sure. She had to figure out where she was and find a way to get a message to Elliot. She had left him one breadcrumb already for him to follow, but she needed to leave him another. But how? Olivia lifted her head and tried to peek out the window. Judging by the sun's position in the sky, she could tell it was morning. Not far off in the distance, she spotted a dirt road. Several teenagers here and there walked along, carrying their school bags. Suddenly, Olivia heard a rattling noise in the hall. The noise steadily grew louder as it came nearer to her. She laid her head back down just as Granger appeared in the doorway, rolling a medical cart into the room.

"Good morning," he greeted her menacingly. "Welcome to your new home."

Olivia shuddered at the thought of this place becoming her new home. She didn't dare tell him she may be carrying his child. She was afraid he would kill her if she did.

"I found you a housewarming gift," he taunted as he pushed the cart closer to her bed. "I raided the old pharmacy down the hall. You and I are gonna have some fun."

In the cart, were dozens of bottles of pills along with dozens of vials with different kinds of liquids. Next to the vials, was a box of empty syringes.

"Hmmmm..." Granger picked up a vial and examined the label. "I wonder what this one does."

He grabbed an empty syringe, inserted it into the vial, and carefully filled it up about halfway. Olivia realized what he was doing and tried to wiggle herself free from the restraints. But Granger was too quick. He held her arm down as he injected the syringe into her shoulder.

"NO!" Olivia screamed, tears rolling down her eyes. "STOP! PLEASE!"

"Scream all you want," he chuckled. "No one can here you."

"Why are you doing this?" she sobbed. "You got your revenge back in the motel room. Just please let me go."

"I don't know," he unsnapped her bra. "Maybe I've grown fond of you."

He cupped her breasts in his hands, gently massaging them. Olivia shivered, begging him to stop, but he ignored.

"I will say this," he added. "Out of all the women I've been with, you're definitely one of my favorites."

Granger released her breasts and moved his lower to her panties. Olivia felt the effects of the drug take over as her body began to relax. She became more disoriented, unable to fight him off. Her senses became hazy, as she became sweaty and her heart began to race. Her breathing became shallow.

"Plus," he added, pulling her panties down to her ankles. "You were such a good girl last night. You slept so quietly during the car ride that Border Patrol didn't even notice you hiding in the backseat. I want to show my appreciation and thank you properly."

Olivia quivered and released a soft moan as he slid two fingers between her legs. His other hand gently fondled her breasts. She tried to resist, but couldn't stop her body from giving in, as his fingers slid back and forth inside her.

"No, no, no, no," she whimpered. "Please stop!"

"That's not what you're body is saying," Granger whispered in her ear. "Don't deny it. Let me give your body it wants."

He pulled his fingers out of her and removed his pants and underwear. He then climbed onto the bed and positioned himself above her. Olivia shut her eyes as his manhood entered between her legs.

"Open your eyes," he told her, thrusting inside her. "You know what happened last time you did that."

Without protest, she opened her eyes. She didn't want him to hit her again.

"Good girl," he grinned evilly, realizing she was completely under his control.

A moan escaped Olivia's mouth as her body moved with his against her will, the pleasure increasing with every thrust. Granger held her head in his hands, watching the expression on her face as she tried to resist. He knew she wouldn't be able to hold it in much longer.

"Oh, fuck!" he moaned, and kissed Olivia.

He grabbed her ass with both hands as he thrust faster and deeper. Olivia released a loud, long moan as her body writhed uncontrollably beneath his. She lost the fight as her body finally succumbed to the intense pleasure as she reached her climax. Moments later, Granger reached his own climax.

"You were great," he complimented her as he caught his breath.

He climbed off her and sat at the foot of her bed, examining the bottles in the cart. Meanwhile, Olivia lay sobbing, still dizzying from the injection. Her body was shivering from the rape and from the cold draft blowing through the room. A mixture of emotions overwhelmed her. She felt ashamed and humiliated that her body reacted the way it did, even though the drug had made her more susceptible. Mostly, she feared that Elliot may never find her, that she may stay in this miserable place, being tortured to death at Granger's hands.

Olivia watched as Granger filled another syringe from another vial. She closed her eyes and sobbed.

"No more...please," she begged and pleaded, her voice weak. "I can't...take it."

He ignored her cries and grabbed her arm. A twisted grin and a cold dark stare spread across his face.

"Let's see what this one does," he sneered, holding up the syringe.

**Location: Canada.**

Dana and Elliot checked in at a local motel, then headed over to the nearest Mounted Police station. When they arrived, they met with the officers assigned to help them with their case.

"Hello," greeted the female officer. "I'm Gina Coleman. And this is my partner, Max Torelli." She held out two coffee cups. "Coffee? I'm sure you guys could you some after the long drive up here."

She handed Elliot and Dana each a cup of fresh, hot coffee.

"Yes, thank you," Dana introduced herself and Elliot. "I'm FBI Agent Dana Lewis and this is Detective Elliot Stabler."

"So, what have you got?" asked Elliot, wasting no time.

"Well," started Max. "After you sent us the APB on the Honda Civic, we got a hit from Border Patrol."

"Border Patrol had his picture," stated Elliot. "How the hell did he make it past them?"

"See for yourself," Gina handed him and Dana a handful of photos.

Elliot and Dana looked at the face of Dennis Granger in disguise. He was wearing a dark wig, fake mustache, and sunglasses. There was no sign of Olivia in the car.

"The man at the rest stop was right," confirmed Dana. "There's Granger, but no Olivia."

"True, but look at this," Elliot pointed at the photo behind Granger's head. "Anybody have a magnifying glass?"

Max rummaged through his desk drawers until he found a magnifying glass, which he handed over to Elliot and Dana. Elliot placed it over the photo. In the backseat of the car it looked as if Granger had packed for a long trip. Several bags were stuffed on the seats and the floor. But sticking out from under one of the bags was a hand. Olivia's hand.

"Son of a bitch!" Dana gasped. "He buried her under the bags!"

She looked up and saw how angry and worried Elliot looked.

"Don't worry," she consoled him. "I'm positive she's alive. He drugged her, remember? She's just unconscious in the photo. I'm sure of it."

"I really hope you're right," he told her. "He also tried to kill her once before, remember?"

Elliot silently vowed to himself that if he found Olivia dead, he would make Granger wish _he_ were dead.

"Is everything alright?" interrupted Gina.

"It will be," Elliot said without hesitation.

"In that case," Max chimed in. "It's time to get to work. The Honda Civic was found empty and abandoned on a dirt road on the outskirts of town. No signs of either Granger or Olivia. But we have a team headed over to the former Grady residence. The four of us are going to search Granger's old childhood home. You guys ready to go?"

"I've been ready," said Elliot.

"I second that," added Dana.

"Alright, then," said Gina. "Let's go."

**Location: Canada. Granger's Childhood Home.**

Elliot and Dana drove their car and followed Max and Gina up to Granger's former home. They parked their cars just out of view from the house, then walked the rest of the way. The didn't want to risk Granger spotting them, for fear he may kill Olivia if he did. The four of them stood before the dilapidated old house deciding how to go about the search. The roof was caved in on one side. All the windows and doors were boarded up. The siding had completely fallen off one side of the house, while on the rest of the house, bits and pieces had fallen off here and there. Not to mention there were signs of significant termite damage.

"There's a basement door around back," Max spoke softly. "We could probably get in through there."

They crept silently toward the house, making their way around the side and to the back. As the went along, Gina noticed one of the side windows was broken and pointed it out to the rest of the team.

"It just big enough for us to fit through," she whispered.

"Why don't we split up?" Dana suggested, quietly.

"Good idea," agreed Elliot, in a hushed tone. "Gina, you and Max continue around back. Dana and I will go in through the window."

So it was settled. Max and Gina went around back, while Elliot hopped in through the window. Once he was inside, he pulled Dana in and they began their search. They found themselves in what used to be a living room. The curtains were moth-eaten. The floral wallpaper was peeling. The furniture was decaying and covered in mold. And the entire room reeked of mold and mildew. Elliot drew their guns as they searched. They left the living room and wandered down the hall, pointing their weapons into every room they passed. They searched the kitchen, the bathroom, and a bedroom. No sign of Olivia or Granger.

They carefully and quietly crept up the rotted wooden stairs. They continued pointing their guns as they searched two bedrooms and a bathroom. Still no sign of Olivia or Granger. They reached the end of hall where another door was located. They opened it to find a staircase leading to the attic. With their weapons still drawn, they silently tiptoed up the stairs and into the attic. They pointed their guns around and then declared that the attic was clear once they found no one there. Elliot and Dana stood there, staring at the gaping hole in the roof.

"She's not here," Elliot sighed, putting his gun down. "There's no sign she ever was."

"We'll find her," Dana assured him, also putting her gun down. "We can't give up now. We're so close. I can feel it."

"I'm not giving up," he told her. "I'll never stop looking for Liv. I just want to find her...alive." He paused a moment to gather his thoughts. "When I found her in the motel room, naked, unconscious, and bleeding from her head, it nearly tore me apart. I'll never forgive myself if he kills her. I still haven't forgiven myself for letting Kathy and the kids die."

Dana placed a gentle hand on Elliot's shoulder.

"That was not your fault," she comforted him. "You can't keeping blame yourself for that. You may not have been able save them, but you _can_ get justice for them. And for Olivia. We will find her alive. I just know it."

"God," he said, a tear rolling down his eye. "I can't even imagine what Granger must be doing to her now."

"You'll have your chance at him," she assured him.

"I sure hope so" Elliot said. "And you're right. About everything else. Thanks."

"No problem," she smiled at him, removing her hand from his shoulder. "Let's go find Max and Gina and get out of here. Maybe the other team had better luck at the Grady place."

As if on cue, Gina and Max entered the attic. Max's phone rang just as they reached the top step. He answered as the two of them walked toward Dana and Elliot.

"Did you guys find anything?" Elliot asked them.

Gina nodded. "A shitload of bones in the basement. And they're all human. But no sign of your perp and victim. What about you guys?"

"Nothing," answered Dana. "There's no sign either of them were ever here. I hope your other team had better luck than we did."

"Think again," Max hung up his phone.

"Was that your other team?" inquired Elliot.

"Yep," replied Max. "They came to the same conclusion as we did. Nothing. No signs anyone had been there in years. But they're on their way here to examine the bones in the basement."

"You should have them search the backyard too," Gina added, staring at the backyard through the hole in the roof. "Who the hell knows what or who else he may have buried there."

"Just fucking great," Elliot grumbled. "Now we're back to square one."

"Not exactly," Dana told him. "We know they crossed the border into Canada. And the car was abandoned, so they couldn't have gotten far."

"Let's get back to the station and figure it out," suggested Max. "We'll take a closer look at all the evidence."

"Alright," Elliot gave in, reluctantly.

Elliot followed the rest of the team towards the attic stairs when suddenly the wind shifted. It shook the already weakened roof so hard that it loosened a wooden beam. They cried out as the four of them ducked out of the way, barely missing the beam as it was now dangling above them, blocking the attic stairs.

"Okay," Gina said, calmly. "I think if we go one at a time slowly and carefully under the beam, we should be fine."

They all agreed it was the best way to go about it.

"Ladies first," Max insisted.

Gina went first, carefully ducking under the beam and slowly creeping down the stairs. Dana went next, followed by Max. Elliot went last. He was almost under the beam when the shifted again, shaking the roof so hard that the beam snapped and struck him in the shoulder.

"AAAAAAAAHHHH!" Elliot screamed in agony. "FUCK!"

He tried to move, but he was pinned under the beam.

"Elliot!" Dana shouted, as she came to his aide. "Hang in there! We'll get you out!"

"Why?" he moaned in pain. "Why do I always get hurt when you're near me?"

Max and Gina exchanged confused looks.

"It's the pain talking," Dana told them. "Ignore him. Now help me out here. Gina, lift the beam with me. Max, you pull Elliot out."

Gina and Dana slowly lifted the beam, as Max gently pulled Elliot out from under it. They then helped Elliot down the stairs and through the rest of the house. Once they were safely outside, Dana handed her car keys to Gina and Max who went to bring the cars closer to the house. Meanwhile, Dana removed Elliot's jacket and shirt and examined his shoulder. It was bleeding profusely and covered in splinters.

"Oh, God!" she cried. "That looks horrible!"

She took his shirt and used as a makeshift bandage for his shoulder.

"There was a rusty nail in the beam," he flinched as Dana applied pressure. "The nail went in my shoulder."

"Ouch," she made a face. "You'll most likely need a Tetanus shot, but otherwise, you should be just fine."

Elliot groaned. "Every fucking time I'm near you, I get hurt. I'm surprised I haven't died yet."

Max and Gina pulled into the driveway. Max, who was in Dana's car, got out and opened the passenger side door for Elliot to get in.

"Okay, you stubborn bastard," Dana chuckled as she helped him up off the ground. "Let's get your ass in the car. We're taking you to the hospital."

**Stay tuned! More to come soon! Please feel free to read and review!**


	14. Chapter 14

**So sorry I took so long to update. My laptop power chord burned out and I had to order a new one. Then finally, after six days of laptop withdrawal, it finally arrived. And now, here's the next chapter. Enjoy! Please feel free to read and review!**

**Location: Canada. Hospital.**

Elliot lay on the exam room table gazing up at the ceiling while the doctor carefully cleaned out his wound and stitched up his shoulder. Thoughts of Olivia floated through his mind. He wished the doctor would hurry up so he could continue searching for her. Dana sat in a chair by his side.

"You should be out looking for Liv," he told her. "Not babysitting me. I'm fine."

"We have no more leads," Dana informed him. "Gina and Max are at the station going over his file and every single piece of evidence again. They'll call me the second they find something."

"I don't think the answer is in there," Elliot had a sudden thought. "Think about it. He wasn't at the storage unit, or at any of his old Canadian stomping grounds. He knows we're on to him, so he had to change his plans."

"You're right," she realized. "But how do we figure out where we took her?"

"Start with where he abandoned the car," he replied.

"Ohhhh...," she knew what he was thinking. "I see where you're going with this."

Dana pulled out her phone and called Max and Gina. Meanwhile Elliot was getting anxious to leave the hospital. He turned to the doctor.

"Are you done yet?" he asked. "I really need to get back to work."

"Almost," the doctor answered without looking up. "Just a few more stitches. The wound is small but deep. Then I just have to give you a tetanus shot. And you'll be good to go."

"Good," Elliot laid his head back.

Dana hung up her phone and looked over at Elliot.

"What did they say?" questioned Elliot.

"They finished processing the crime scene at Granger's old house," she responded. "They estimated about a dozen bodies in the basement. Nothing buried in the backyard though. I asked them about the car. Max said there's an industrial park about a half mile up the road with several abandoned buildings."

"That's all?" Elliot was hoping for more. Or at least something less complicated.

"Yep," Dana said. "He and Gina are assembling teams. We're going to search first thing in the morning. But for now, you need to rest."

"I'm not resting until I find Liv," he told her, defiantly.

"Yes, you are," she said, just as defiantly. "Even if I have to restrain you myself."

There was no point in arguing. Elliot knew that Dana was right. It was far too late. He closed his eyes to see Olivia's smiling face. He longed to hold her in his arms and gaze into her warm brown eyes. He prayed that he would find her and that she would be alive.

"I will find you, Liv," he vowed to himself, a tear slid down his cheek. "Or I'll die trying. I promise."

**Location: Unknown.**

It was dark outside. But whether it was nightfall or early morning, Olivia could not tell. She was so weak and disoriented from all the drugs Granger had given her that she lost all track of time. How long had she been here? Hours? Days? It felt so long, but she couldn't be sure. All she knew was that she couldn't take anymore of his torture. She had endured endless hours of Granger giving her pills or injecting her with different drugs and seeing how she reacted while he repeatedly raped her. One drug made her twitchy, which angered him enough that he beat her. Another drug caused her to hallucinate. Granger had taken great pleasure in using her hallucinations against her. The most recent drug he'd given her made her sleep for several hours.

Olivia now lay awake, her body shivering and drenched in sweat from the drugs working their way out of her system. Tears streamed down her face as she whimpered in pain. Her voice was too weak to yell. And her body ached too much to move. Her pelvis was sore, along with her thighs which were also heavily bruised. The leather restraints left bruises on her wrists and ankles. Her face was battered, her lip swollen and bloody, her right eye bruised and so swollen she could barely open it. She now realized she would never be able to leave Elliot a bread crumb like she had planned. She prayed he would find her before it was too late. How she longed to gaze into his deep blue eyes, feeling his strong, muscular arms around her body.

Suddenly, the door swung open, revealing Granger as he entered the room, nearing her bedside.

"Hey, beautiful," he stroked her thigh with one hand, making her shudder. "I'm surprised to see you awake so soon. I wasn't expecting you to wake for a few more hours."

He moved his hand higher up her thigh. Olivia was much too weak to fight back. The only thing she could do was weep.

"I guess you couldn't wait," he taunted with a grin. "Neither could I."

Granger pulled the blanket off her nude body. Olivia trembled fiercely from the cold as she continued to sob.

"Shh...don't cry, Olivia," he picked up a syringe and vial and filled the syringe. "I know what will make you feel better."

Olivia's cries intensified as he injected the syringe into her shoulder. He removed his pants and underwear, then positioned himself on top of her. He entered her thrusting fast and hard as Olivia began to feel the full effects of the drug take over her body. She became even more disoriented as her body relaxed. She could feel herself growing drowsy. Her eyelids suddenly heavy with sleep, slowly closed.

"Wake up, you whore!" Granger slapped her hard.

Olivia's eyes fluttered open, only to close again. The drug was too strong. Granger realized this but still continued to wake her up.

"Dammit, Olivia!" he yelled hitting her again, harder this time. "I said wake the fuck up!"

She opened her eyes again, this time mumbling something before she closed her eyes once again.

He shook her awake once more. "What the hell did you say?"

"El..." she muttered in her subconscious, closing her eyes once more. "Find me, Elliot...I need you...Elliot..."

"Elliot can't save you from me," he scoffed.

Olivia opened her eyes and looked straight into Granger's eyes.

"Yes, he will," her voice was a hoarse whisper. "He'll never stop searching...till he finds me..."

He let her go as her eyes closed again. He pulled out of her and climbed off the bed. Hearing Elliot's name caused Granger to lose his erection. Fuming with rage, he kicked the cart, knocking it on its side as all the vials, pill bottles, and everything else spilled to the floor.

"You see what you made me do!" he shouted.

Olivia yelped as Granger punched her, leaving a shiny bruise on her cheek. He put his pants back on, but removed the belt from the waist. He held the two ends of the belt in one hand as he freed one of Olivia's hands from its restraint with his other hand. He then grabbed her arm and turned her over onto her stomach.

"Let's see how your precious Elliot likes this!" he roared, raising the belt high above his head.

Granger brought down the belt fast and hard, striking Olivia's back with such force that it left a large, deep red welt.

"AAAAAAHH!" she screamed, her eyes snapped wide open, tears streaming down her face.

The pain was unbearable. She cried hysterically, begging him to stop, but he raised the belt and struck her again and again. Each time more forceful than the last, causing her skin to break. Blood trickled down from her back to the bed.

"STOP!" Olivia cried out in agony. "NO MORE! PLEASE!"

He ignored her cries and continued whipping her even harder. The welts grew larger, and deeper, as more blood flowed down and across her back. Her cries grew even stronger, but he ignored them still, each blow to her back more powerful than the last. Her back becoming soaked in blood.

Suddenly he stopped. Olivia slowly looked up and realized why. He regained his erection and had a hungry, sinister look in his eyes. He turned her onto her back once again, putting her arm back in the restraint. Olivia flinched and cried in pain as her bloody back touched the bed. He removed his pants and positioned himself atop of her once again.

"Fuck YES!" he groaned as he slammed into her, moving deep inside her.

Olivia cried out as the weight of his body on hers intensified the stinging pain in her back.

"OWWWW!" she sobbed hysterically. "Please stop! You're hurting me!"

But he couldn't help himself as the pleasure grew inside of him. He continued moving inside her, deeper, increasing his pace. Olivia continued to weep beneath him as his weight repeatedly pushed her back harder into the bed. The excruciating pain shooting through her back became too much for Olivia to bear. She became increasingly dizzy, her cries softened, then ceased all together as she slowly lost consciousness.

**Location: Canada. Royal Mounted Police Station.**

Elliot stared angrily at the desk, his fist balled up. Today was another dead end. They searched seven abandoned warehouses in the industrial park and no sign of Olivia or Granger. It was late afternoon now, and Gina and Max were searching for another lead, planning their next move. Dana saw the anguished look in Elliot's eyes.

"Elliot, you need to calm down," she spoke gently. "Letting all the anger, pain, and frustration fester inside you isn't gonna help us find Olivia. What would she say to you if she were here right now?"

"She'd tell me the same thing.," he answered, thinking about Olivia. "She'd want me to keep looking because there's always something we missed. Something we overlooked."

"Exactly," Dana said. "And whatever it is, we'll figure it out."

"Yes, we will," Gina reassured him. "We're looking into any and all abandoned buildings in the area where he could be hiding."

A sudden thought came into Dana's mind.

"What if he's not hiding in an abandoned building?" she asked.

Gina was confused. "What do you mean?"

"What if he's hiding in a local residence?" Dana clarified. "Has anyone gone on vacation recently?"

"I see what you mean," Elliot realized. "He's hiding in plain sight."

"That makes sense," nodded Max. "Many perps have done it before."

"True," Gina agreed. "Let's put a few teams together and canvass the town. It's rather small. Everybody knows everybody here. I'm sure somebody has seen or heard something out of the ordinary."

"Good idea," agreed Max. "But still, let's have one team here, checking out all the abandoned buildings in the area. Just in case."

"Sounds good to me," Elliot stood up, ready to go.

Just as they were about to leave the station, several officers walked in with teenagers in handcuffs protesting their arrest. One officer was escorting a teenage boy in handcuffs, who he then led to Max's desk where he sat down in the chair next to the desk.

"Hey, pops!" the boy shot a wicked grin at Max.

"Dominic!" Max exclaimed. "What the hell did you do this time?"

Dominic resembled his father in that he shared the same hair and eye color and had similar facial features. They were even about the same height. Max, however, had more of a muscular build. And unlike his father's clean cut, Dominic's shoulder-length hair drooped around his face and neck. He was dressed as if he were going to a punk rock concert, wearing blue jeans with holes in them and a black t-shirt under a ratty gray hoodie.

"Nothing," Dominic lied.

"Nothing, my ass!" his father snapped. "The last time you said it was nothing, you got drunk and decided to go streaking across your school football field at halftime during the homecoming game!"

"Blame it on peer pressure," Dominic quipped. "The guys dared me to do it."

"Is that so?" Max demanded to know. "Well, did peer pressure make you steal a squad car and take it for a joyride where you drove it into a ditch. By the way, I'm still paying off the damages. I should sell your iPod to help pay it off."

"Nah," Dominic put his legs up on the desk and leaned back in the chair. "I was just bored that time."

"That's enough out of you," Max told him. "Stay put. I'll be right back."

"Whatever," Dominic grumbled, pulling his iPod out of his pocket and putting on his headphones.

While Dominic drowned away in his music, Max moved closer to Gina, Dana, Elliot, and the officer who brought in Dominic.

"I'm so sorry," he apologized in a hushed tone. "My fifteen-year-old son is a bit of a pain in the ass. He wasn't always this way. It's just since my wife died of breast cancer last year, he's been acting out a lot."

"That's understandable," Dana spoke quietly. "Have you tried talking to him?"

"I've tried everything," replied Max. "Talking, spending more time with him, grounding him. I even made him spend a couple weeks in a juvenile detention center last summer. Nothing worked."

"Try group counseling," Elliot suggested. "Put him in a group with kids his own age. Teens are more likely to open up to other teens than their own parents."

"I'll give it a shot," Max said, then walked over to Dominic, pulling off his headphones. "So, McGill, what did my kid do this time?"

McGill, the other officer stepped forward.

"Trespassing on private property," McGill informed him. "He and his friends were caught sneaking around Greenwood Hills."

"Greenwood Hills?" Max repeated. "The old mental hospital? What possessed you to go there?"

"Just having a little fun," scoffed Dominic. "What can I say? Chicks love thrill-seekers."

"Why didn't you just go see a horror flick?" questioned Max.

"Oh, please!" Dominic snickered. "This place was a million times better than any horror flick! It's seriously haunted! My buddy, Wade, took his girl there last night. He said he heard a woman screaming. He almost pissed himself when he realized it wasn't his girl."

"It was probably some junkies," assumed McGill.

"No way," Dominic shook his head. "It sounded like this chick was being tortured by some psycho dude. There was a lot of noise like stuff hitting the wall. I'm telling you, she must be a ghost of a tortured patient or something. I bet you could look up her file and junk. That dude kept calling her 'Olivia.'"

Elliot and Dana exchanged looks with each other, then with Gina and Max.

"Where is Greenwood Hills?" Elliot demanded.

"Just outside of town," replied Gina. "About two miles from where the car was abandoned. We ruled it out earlier because we thought it was too far of a walk for Granger and Olivia."

"Unless they didn't walk," suggested Elliot. "Where's the report from the abandoned car?"

"Right here!" Max called from the file cabinet across the room.

He rejoined them and handed Elliot the file.

"I also found this," Max held up another file. "It's a stolen car report from the same morning local authorities found Granger's car. The car was registered to a man whose house is not far from where Granger abandoned the car. I'm guessing Granger stole the car, went back to get Olivia and his belongings, then drove off to Greenwood Hills."

"The evidence supports your theory," Elliot told him. "The file reports tire marks leading to and away from the car."

"Well, then," Dana spoke up. "What are we waiting for? Let's go."

"Max, we should bring back-up," Gina insisted. "Just in case."

"Definitely," Max agreed.

Elliot nodded in agreement. "Make sure they turn off all their lights and sirens. We don't want to spook Granger. He still has Olivia in there with him. If he notices us, he will kill her."

"Got it!" called Max. " Dominic! Stay here with McGill. I'll be back soon."

"What else is new?" Dominic asked, sarcastically, putting his headphones back on.

Elliot, Dana, Max, and Gina readied themselves and headed out of the station. They hopped into their cars and drove as fast and as quietly as the could to Greenwood Hills.

**Stay tuned! More to come soon! Please feel free to read and review!**


	15. Chapter 15

**I wanted to have this posted sooner, but the weather in my area has been really crappy lately. And it has been making my carpal tunnel in my hand flare really bad. Anyway, enjoy this chapter! Feel free to read and review!**

**Location: Greenwood Hills Psychiatric Hospital.**

It was nearly dusk, when Olivia regained consciousness. She gazed out the window, watching the last of the sunlight fade as the sun set into the woods beyond the dirt road. She wept silently, realizing she couldn't hang on much longer. She was barely able to stay conscious, slipping in and out all day. Granger was growing bored with her because she was too weak and disoriented to fight back, let alone scream. Fear swept over Olivia as she realized her fate was now in Granger's hands. It was only a matter of time before he would come back to end her life. She prayed that Elliot would find her before this happened. She felt her eyelids become heavy with sleep as she slowly lost consciousness once again.

_Olivia suddenly found herself in the SVU squad room. The old squad room. Twelve years ago. It was as if she were on the outside looking in, almost like watching a movie of her life. Detectives Monique Jeffries and Brian Cassidy sat around what would later be Fin's desk, shooting the breeze with Munch. Elliot and Cragen were nowhere to be found. She saw her younger self enter the squad room for the first time, reassignment papers in hand, looking around curiously. Cassidy noticed Olivia the moment she walked in and immediately approached her._

_ "Hey, there," he flirted, with a wide, flashy grin. "You look lost. Anything I can do to help a beautiful damsel in distress?"_

_ "God, you're such a pig!" Jeffries slapped him on the back of the head. "I apologize on his behalf. I'm Detective Jeffries. Can I help you?"_

_ "I'm looking for Captain Donald Cragen," Olivia answered. "I'm Detective Benson. I've been reassigned to the Special Victims Unit."_

_ "He's in his office," Jeffries told her. "Right this way. Follow me."_

_ Jeffries led Olivia to Cragen's office where she gently tapped on his door._

_ "Come in," called Cragen._

_ "A Detective Benson is here to see you," announced Jeffries._

_ "Send her in," Cragen ordered._

_ "Hi," greeted Olivia, shaking Cragen's hand upon entering his office._

_ She sat down and handed him her reassignment papers. He looked them over, then placed them on his desk._

_ "Welcome aboard," he said. "I was expecting you last week."_

_ "Yes, I know," she explained. "And I apologize for that. I got held up in court."_

_ "That's understandable," Cragen spoke. "Let's get you settled then. I'll show you to your desk and introduce you to your new partner."_

_ As they stood up to leave, there was a knock on the door. Elliot entered the office._

_ "Hey, Captain," he said. "We got a lead on the Columbia University rapist. Just thought I'd give-"_

_ Elliot sees Olivia standing next to Cragen, and is immediately breath taken by her beauty. But what really draws him to her is the depth and magnitude of her brown eyes. It was like falling into a well that reached deep into her soul._

_ "I'm sorry," Elliot said, coming back to his senses. "I didn't realize you were busy."_

_ "It's alright," Cragen gestured for him to closer. "I was actually looking for you. This is your new partner, Olivia Benson. Olivia, this is Elliot Stabler."_

_ "Hey," Olivia smiled as she shook his hand. "Nice to meet you."_

_ "Likewise," Elliot smiled back. "Welcome to SVU."_

_ "Thanks," she said._

_ Olivia was just as entranced with Elliot. His rugged, good looks and muscular build weren't the only thing that attracted her. It was his eyes more than anything. They were a brilliant blue, bold and piercing, yet at the same time, warm and gentle._

_ "Elliot, why don't you show Olivia to her desk," suggested Cragen._

_ "Sure," he instructed Olivia. "Follow me."_

_ As she followed him out of Cragen's office and into the squad room, Olivia couldn't help but stare._

God, he has a great ass! _She thought to herself as she grinned. _I think I'm going to like it here.

_ He led her to the desk across from his._

_ "Here you go, Liv," Elliot pointed to her desk, then sat down at his. "Mind if I call you Liv?"_

_ "Not at all," she replied._

Damn! She's beautiful! _He thought to himself as he watched her settle in. _If only I was single.

_ Olivia noticed picture frames on Elliot's desk. She reached across and grabbed a couple._

_ "My wife and four kids," he told her as he watched her look at them._

_ "They're beautiful," she complimented before setting the pictures back on his desk. "You're a very lucky man."_

Such a shame he's married. _Olivia sighed as she thought. _He's really cute. And kind of sweet too.

_ Suddenly, Cragen rushed out of his office._

_ "The Columbia University rapist has struck again," he informed his unit._

_ "We're on it," Elliot volunteered himself and Olivia for the assignment. "Liv, are you coming?"_

_ Olivia tried to stand up, but found herself unable to move. She tried to call for Elliot, but no sound came out._

_ "Liv?" he called again. _

_ This time his voice sounded distant. The squad room began to fade to gray. Olivia called for him again but still no sound came. She struggled to move, but was still unable._

_ "Olivia?" Elliot's voice changed, becoming dry and gritty._

"Dammit, Olivia! Wake up!"

Granger was standing over her, shaking her awake. Olivia's eyes fluttered open. She realized the squad room was a dream. She was now still in the old hospital room, still strapped to the bed. She was still struggling to stay alive, waiting and praying for Elliot to rescue her from this nightmare. She looked out the window. It was pitch dark now. Lightning pierced the sky as the thunder roared outside.

"It's about fucking time," Granger grumbled when he saw her open her eyes.

He released his grip on her, a stinging pain surging throughout her body. She was still sore and bruised from the whipping he had given her. Tears rolled down her eyes as she whimpered.

"Stop your crying!" he shouted, punching her in the face. "Whore!"

"I'm sorry!" she begged, her voice barely audible. "Just please don't hurt me anymore."

She watched as he began sifting through the glass and debris from the overturned cart still laying on the floor. Granger managed to find a vial that wasn't broken and an empty syringe. He opened the vial and carefully filled the syringe. Olivia whimpered as he injected the syringe into her shoulder. Within minutes, she began to feel the effects of the drug as it swam throughout her system. Her mind became cloudy, her senses became hazy. She struggled to keep herself grounded to reality.

Olivia saw the anxious look in Granger's eyes and realized he had become aroused. He pulled the blanket off her body. He removed his pants and climbed on the bed, positioning himself above her. Her hands clung to the leather restraints as he entered her. She didn't have the strength to resist him.

"Oh, God!" Granger moaned. "You feel so good!"

Her body quivered beneath him as he moved deep inside her. He had complete control of her body. Olivia stared up at the ceiling, afraid that if she shut her eyes, Granger would hit her. He noticed this and smiled.

"Good girl," he kissed her cheek. "You're finally learning."

His hands cupped each one of her breasts, gently fondling them. A stifled moan escaped Olivia's lips, as her body moved with his, the pleasure intensifying within her.

"Oh, yea!" he grunted deeply. "Tell me you like it. Tell me you want more."

"I like it!" she said through clenched teeth, sobbing. "I want more!"

"That's right," he grinned, feeling the pleasure grow inside him. " Now tell me I'm the only one. Tell me I'm the best you've ever had."

"You're the only one," she forced out as her weeping increased. "You're the best I've ever had!"

Granger moaned louder at this, quickening his pace, his thrusts becoming more powerful. Her body writhed uncontrollably beneath his. Olivia cried out as her body succumbed to him once again. He squeezed her breasts as he reached his own climax, before dropping down on top of her, catching his breath..

"You're mine," he breathlessly whispered into her ear. "All mine!"

Beneath him, Olivia lay sobbing and shivering. She began to feel even more disoriented, weak and dizzying front the drug. She thought of Elliot and the hopes that he would save her from this hell as she felt herself losing consciousness again.

**Location: Greenwood Hills Psychiatric Hospital. Parking Lot.**

Elliot and Dana parked at the farthest end of the parking so not to spook Granger. Gina and Max parked near them. Their backup awaited for them in the woods beyond the dirt road behind the hospital. When the time was right, they would signal for backup. The four of them huddled behind the two cars with the blueprints of the hospital and a flashlight.

"According to these blueprints," Max began, in a hushed tone. "The hospital consists of three floors beginning with the main lobby, which is here."

He pointed with the flashlight to the center of the L-shaped hospital where the two sections intersected.

"Then," he continued. "It branches off to the right and left. Gina and I will take the left. Dana, you and Elliot can take the right."

"Fine by me," agreed Dana.

"Wait a second," Elliot interrupted. "That will take too long. Why don't you call Dominic and ask what part of the hospital he and his friends were in when they heard the screams?"

"Way ahead of you," Max replied. "I called him when we were in the car. He said they only made it into the main lobby when they heard the screams. Afterward, they ran out of there as if their asses were on fire."

"Lovely," Elliot grumbled, sarcastically. "I guess we'll stick to your plan then."

Gina spoke up. "It's the best plan we've got. Even if it will take us a while. But don't worry, Elliot. We will find Olivia."

"Okay, then," Dana told them. "Let's cut the chit-chat and start searching."

The four of them crept silently towards the hospital, weapons drawn. As they got closer to the main entrance, Max beckoned them to the left side of the hospital.

"This way," he whispered. "Dominic said the front entrance was bolted shut. But there's a side door around the left side that's broken. It's how they got in last time. It leads into the kitchen, which should take us through the cafeteria and into the main lobby."

They slowly and quietly made their way to the left side of the house, where they easily found the side door hanging on by only one of its hinges. Suddenly, lightning flashed and thunder rolled. Then the sky opened up as rain poured down over them. It was so loud they had to yell to make themselves heard. They only hoped Granger wouldn't be able to hear them over the storm.

"Shit!," Elliot cried out. "Let's get inside quickly!"

"You don't have to tell me twice!" yelled Dana.

"I second that!" yelled Gina.

"Shut up and get in!" shouted Max, holding the door open.

All four them quickly and quietly slid through the broken door and into the kitchen of the hospital.

**Location: Greenwood Hills Psychiatric Hospital.**

The rain was pounding hard against the window when Olivia once again regained consciousness. She looked around, dazed and weak, still dizzying from the drug that was still flowing through her body. Her body lay trembling and drenched in sweat. Her breathing was quick and shallow. Olivia lifted her neck slowly and looked around. She flinched in agony as the pain shot down her back, spreading throughout her body like a wild fire. Granger was nowhere to be found. Where had he gone? Was he coming back? Or was he going to leave her here to die?

Her question was immediately answered when she heard the door open. She looked up just as he entered the room.

"Hello, detective," he greeted her grimly. "Glad to see you're awake. For now anyway."

Olivia remained silent as he moved nearer to her bedside. He brought his face close to hers. She flinched as he cupped her face in both of his hands. He shook her head when she started to drift off to sleep again.

"You're being very disrespectful," he scolded, stroking her face with his thumbs. "It's not nice to keep falling asleep on me."

He tightened his grip on her face, making Olivia cry out in pain.

"You're making me angry," he chastised with an ice cold stare. "And trust me. The last you want to do is make me angry."

Suddenly, Olivia's stomach began to churn. She felt terribly nauseated. Granger sensed this and backed away, just as Olivia turned her head and vomited all over the bed. Granger became furious.

"Now look what you did!" he slapped her. "God, you're fucking disgusting!"

"I'm sorry," she whimpered. "Just stop hurting me. Please."

"If you're so sorry, then why do you keep doing it?" he demanded to know, cupping her face in his hands again. "Tell me! Why do you keep pissing me off?"

"I'm sorry," she repeated softly, begging for his forgiveness. "I'll never do it again. I promise."

He loosened his grip on her face as he ran his fingers through her hair. Olivia shuddered as she continued to remain silent.

"I thought you wanted to please me," Granger kissed her cheek. "You _do_ want to please me, right?

She stared up at the ceiling, and uttered not a word. This only infuriated him even more.

"Answer me when I talk to you!" he slapped her harder this time, making her cry out. "Inconsiderate bitch!"

"Yes!" she forced out through tears, her voice weak and raspy. "I want to please you! And only you!"

"That's a good girl," he smiled cruelly. "I know you do. Just like I want to please you."

He placed one hand on her breast, gently massaging it. Meanwhile his other hand still firmly cupped her chin. Olivia quivered at his touch.

"You know you like it," he taunted her, gently squeezing her breast. "I think you enjoy it just as much as I do. Maybe even more."

Granger put his lips to hers as he kissed Olivia's cheek, slowly moving up to her ear, which he then began to nibble. Suddenly, he stopped.

"Where are my manners?" he quipped. "I got so carried away that I almost forgot."

He let go of her face and breast.

"I was searching around this old hospital today," he explained. "I was looking for something for us to play with. I had to since you were disrespectful and made me knock the cart over."

He felt his temper flare, but took a deep breath.

"Anyway," Granger continued. "You caught me in a good mood. I forgive you for angering me."

He gently rubbed her thigh with his hand.

"Plus," he added, as he continued massaging her thigh. "I want to thank you for being so good."

Olivia whimpered and trembled as he moved his hand higher.

"I have a gift for you," he grinned wickedly. "Well, actually it's for both of us."

He released his grip on her thighs.

"I'll be right back," he told her. "Don't move."

He left the room, but Olivia could still hear him out in the hallway. It sounded like he was sifting through a very large and very full dumpster.

_This is it._ She thought. _He's gonna kill me now._

She closed her eyes and sobbed harder, as she prepared herself. She only wished she could somehow tell Elliot she was sorry. That she should have talked to him when she had the chance. And tell him how much she loved him, and how much he meant to her. Somehow deep inside, she felt he already knew. Just as she knew how much Elliot loved her.

Granger returned into the room carrying a large cardboard box in his arms.

"I found a new toy for us," he smiled sinisterly. "And believe me when I tell you this one will blow your mind!"

**Will Elliot make it there in time to stop Granger and save Olivia? We'll find out soon! Stay tuned! More to come soon! Feel free to read and review!**


	16. Chapter 16

**Location: Greenwood Hills Psychiatric Hospital.**

_"I found a new toy for us," he smiled sinisterly. "And believe me when I tell you this one will blow your mind!" _

Olivia's eyes grew wide with fear. Her body trembled as sheer terror swept over her. She watched as Granger placed the box on the floor by her bed. He saw the fear in her eyes and went over to her.

"There's no need to be scared," he taunted, stroking her hair. "We're gonna have some fun. Don't you want to have some fun?"

"Yes," she managed to say through tears.

"Then why are you crying?" he questioned.

"I'm sorry," she forced herself to stop crying. "I'll stop."

"You're always sorry," he grumbled. "This time I'll make you sorry."

He opened the box and began sifting through it. He pulled out a metal rectangular box that look like an old ham radio and set it on the nightstand. As he continued to sift through the box, Olivia tried to focus on the metal box. But she was so weak and disoriented that she couldn't read the lettering on any of the knobs and buttons on the box.

Granger stood up, holding what Olivia thought were electrical chords in one hand. In the other hand, he held a plastic mouth guard. He set the mouth guard on the nightstand next to the metal box. He then plugged the chords into the box. That's when Olivia finally realized what was happening. The box was an electroconvulsive therapy machine. And the chords were electrodes.

"Oh, no, no, no!" she begged him. "Please don't do this!"

"Aw, come on, Olivia!" he scoffed. "I thought you wanted to have some fun!"

Olivia cried and struggled to free herself as Granger held her down. He attached the electrode pads to her temples and forehead. She clamped her mouth shut when she saw him reach for the mouth guard.

"Open your mouth!" he snapped, hitting Olivia hard. "Open it, you bitch!"

As she cried out, Granger quickly shoved the mouth guard in her mouth. He held her jaw steady as he shut her mouth holding the mouth guard in place.

"Bite down," he ordered her.

Tears streamed down Olivia's face as she sobbed uncontrollably. She closed her eyes tight for she couldn't bear to watch anymore.

"Open your eyes, dammit!" he growled. "Don't make me hurt you again! Now open them!"

Olivia forced her eyes open, weeping harder.

"Good girl," he grinned.

He turned the voltage knob on the ECT machine to the lowest setting.

"Don't worry," he quipped. "This will only hurt for a moment."

Granger pushed a button on the machine.

"AAAAAAAAHHHH!" Olivia screamed as extreme pain surged through her brain.

Even though the mouth guard muffled her scream, it still filled the room and buzzed through the hallway.

Granger held her head and jaw steady as her body jerked around on the bed for a moment before finally losing consciousness.

**Location: Greenwood Hills Psychiatric Hospital. Kitchen.**

Once they were inside the kitchen, Elliot, Dana, Max, and Gina surveyed their surroundings. Along the wall to the left of the door they entered was a line of metal stoves covered in rust and mold. And to the right of them was a row of sinks, some empty and some full of dishes caked with crusty old food. In the center of the room were two rows of prep stations. Each were covered with old pots and pans, cooking utensils, and moldy food. The wall opposite them had a row of carts filled with dishes, some clean and others with stuck-on, hardened and moldy food. The entire kitchen itself smelled of rancid meat. Aside from the door they entered from, there were three other doors. But no one knew which door led to the cafeteria, which was where they needed to go. They tried the closest door to them. It turned out to be an old walk-in refrigerator. They realized that was where the smell came from. They carefully crossed through the kitchen, making sure not to bump into anything or knocking over any dishes. The other two doors led out to the cafeteria.

The cafeteria was about as big as the SVU squad room. It consisted of five rows, each containing twelve tables. Each table had four chairs stacked upside down on it. The exit, a set of double doors, lay across the room from them. They carefully maneuvered around the tables. They were almost to the doors when Elliot bumped into one of the tables, causing a chair to fall. He managed to grab the chair with one hand before it hit the floor. He bit down on his lower lip to stop him from crying out in pain.

"Are you okay?" Dana whispered to him when they made it to the doors.

"I'll be fine," he flinched, holding his gut. "Let's keep going."

When they entered the lobby, they all looked at Max for their next move.

"Well," Max began, in a soft voice. "The stairs are located to the right of the elevators. From there, we'll split up. Gina and I will search the left wing, and you and Dana will search the right wing."

They all nodded, but stopped dead in their tracks before they even made it to the staircase. Suddenly, an earth-shattering shriek echoed throughout the hospital.

"Olivia!" Elliot gasped, his voice echoing throughout the main lobby. "She's alive!"

He clamped his hand over his mouth, realizing he spoke too loud. Thankfully, the storm raging outside was so loud that it overpowered his outcry. But he was absolutely certain the scream belonged to Olivia. There wasn't a doubt in his mind. He knew he had to get to her fast. It was only a matter of time before Granger killed her.

"It sounded like it came from upstairs," said Dana, staring at the ceiling. "Somewhere in the right wing."

"There's another set of stairs that way," Max spoke quietly, pointing past the cafeteria doors. "Gina and I will go up that way, while you two continue up these stairs."

"Good idea

The four of them drew their weapons as they silently raced up the stairs, following the sound of Olivia's screams.

**Location: Greenwood Hills Psychiatric Hospital.**

The pain throbbed in Olivia's head as she awoke, momentarily confused and disoriented. There was a ringing in her ears that only exacerbated her head pain. Where was she? Why was she naked and strapped to a bed? And why did her head feel like it was going to explode? She looked around trying to make sense of what was happening. But it only made her head hurt more, causing her to feel nauseated again. As she lifted her neck, she could feel her nausea growing worse. She turned her head, spit the mouth guard out, and vomited again.

"There you go AGAIN!" snapped Granger, hitting her so hard it made her dizzy. "What the fuck is wrong with you? Do you like pissing me off? Is that it?"

As she cried out in pain, Olivia suddenly started to remember. The painful memories of the constant injection of drugs and repeated rapes and beatings filled her mind. All she could do was lay there and cry. Her jaw hurt too much to speak. But she felt it was better that way. Granger was fuming mad. She feared if she apologized to him again, he may hit her. Or worse. He may kill her. She had to find a way to buy more time, to stall him. But how? Her head was in too much pain, and she was too disoriented and weak to think clearly. She felt herself losing consciousness again.

"Oh, no you don't!" Granger roared. "Wake up!"

He grabbed Olivia by the shoulders and shook her. Then he knelt down and picked up the mouth guard.

"The party has only just begun," he sneered, tightly gripping her chin. "Now it's time for round two."

He held her chin with one hand and pried her mouth open with the other hand. He then forced the mouth guard back in her mouth, ignoring her cries. Olivia tried to spit it out, but Granger clamped her jaw shut, holding the mouth guard in place. From the look of rage in his eyes, Olivia could sense that he was growing more infuriated.

"Disrespectful bitch!" he snarled. "You'll learn your lesson yet!"

Olivia's muffled cries intensified, but Granger continued to ignore her. He let her go and moved toward the ECT machine. He turned the voltage knob, raising it to a higher setting than before. Then he moved his hand over another button.

**Location: Greenwood Hills Psychiatric Hospital. Second Floor Hallway.**

At the top of the stairs, Elliot and Dana surveyed their surroundings and planned their next moves. The hallway was pitch dark. And it smelled of mold and mildew. Outside, the storm raged on, beating against the old hospital. The two of them, guns drawn, searched room by room, silently and swiftly. But there was no sign of Olivia or Granger. Dana could see the frustration and anger in Elliot's eyes.

"Elliot, calm down," she whispered gently. "We're going to find her. We have to stay focused."

"I know we will," he said, frantically. "That was her scream. I know she's here somewhere. I can feel it."

"Me too," said Dana. "That's why we need to keep looking."

As they continued searching, they ran into Gina and Max. Their search also came up empty.

"She must be on the third floor," suggested Gina.

"We'll take those stairs," Max pointed to an exit sign down the hall. "Then we'll split up again we get upstairs."

Suddenly, they heard noise above them. First there was yelling in a man's voice followed by crying in a woman's voice.

"That's them," Dana whispered. They're upstairs."

"Time to go," Elliot said in a hushed tone. "NOW!"

They all nodded in agreement and quietly flew up the stairs at the speed of light. At the top, they looked to the left, then right deciding their next move.

"Look," Dana spoke softly. "There's a light down there."

She pointed down the hall to the right. Sure enough, at the very end of the hall was a dim light pouring out of one of the rooms.

"Dana and I will go first," volunteered Elliot. "You two back us up."

Gina and Max nodded, as Elliot and Dana drew their weapons and crept silently down the hall. Max and Gina followed a short distance behind them. As they reached the room where the light came from, Elliot noticed the door was ajar. He peered through the open crack and saw Granger hovering over Olivia who was strapped to the bed, crying and struggling to break free. While Granger's back was turned, Elliot motioned to Dana, who was standing behind him. She nodded and quickly and quietly moved to the other side of the door.

"Disrespectful bitch!" they heard Granger snarl at Olivia. "You'll learn your lesson yet!"

As they peeked in again, they saw Granger's back was still turned, but he was no longer hovering over Olivia. This time he was standing in front of a machine on the nightstand. Elliot and Dana could see her now, bruised and bloody with electrode pads attached to her head. They suddenly realized what was happening. They looked at each other and nodded.

"FREEZE, GRANGER!" Elliot shouted as he and Dana burst through the door, weapons drawn.

Granger turned around and faced the two of them. On the bed, Olivia cried years of joy at the sight of Elliot.

"So you found us," he scoffed. "Well done."

He mockingly clapped his hands for Elliot and Dana.

"Step away from the machine," Dana commanded him. "And slowly put your hands up."

He ignored her command and grinned sinisterly. Instead, he remained where he was and moved his hand over to the ECT machine. He raised the voltage knob to the highest setting.

"Don't do anything stupid!" Elliot yelled, watching him closely. "I will gladly blow your fucking brains out. Now step away from the machine!"

"Shoot me and she dies!" Granger yelled, his hand firmly on the button.

"You sure you want to do that?," asked Elliot. "You know damn well if she dies, you go down for murder."

"Not that it makes much of a difference," added Dana. "You're already getting the death penalty. We found your body farms, here in Canada and New York."

"Plus, we can nail your ass for eight rapes," Elliot added. "And that's including Olivia."

"I'll take my chances," quipped Granger.

"You're pretty cocky for a dead man," snapped Dana.

"Give it up already, Granger," Elliot taunted. "The only way you're leaving this building is in a body bag."

"Oh yea," Granger scoffed. "Well, if I die, I'm taking her with me."

With one hand, he pointed to Olivia on the bed, frozen with fear. His other hand still firmly on the button on the ECT machine.

"Not on my watch!" Elliot growled, his finger on the trigger.

"Or mine!" added Dana, her gun aimed at Granger's chest.

"Think about what you're doing, Elliot," Granger taunted. Do you really want to risk Olivia's life like this?"

Elliot looked over at Olivia. She looked back at him with wide, frightened eyes. Pleading eyes that silently begged him to save her. He saw her bruised body and the bloody sheets. She had been through hell and back. As he gazed into her eyes, he contemplated his next move. He held his gun steady, aiming it at Granger.

"I'm not risking her life," Elliot stared Granger down. "I'm saving it."

Granger stood there, unflinching. "Do you really think you two can intimidate me?"

"How about three of us?" asked Max entering the room, gun drawn.

"Or four of us?" Gina entered the room behind Max, gun also drawn.

Granger hadn't anticipated this. His hands left the machine and fell to his side. He looked around the room nervously, contemplating his next move.

"Not so tough now, are you?" Elliot grinned devilishly.

"Feeling a little outnumbered there, Granger?" teased Max.

"You'll never make it out of here alive," scoffed Gina.

"You don't stand a chance against us," quipped Dana.

Granger looked around the room at the four of them. Then he looked at Olivia, then back up at Elliot.

"So, what's it gonna be?" Elliot pressed on.

Granger looked at the ECT machine.

"Don't do it, Granger!" yelled Elliot.

A sinister grin spread across Granger's face as his next moved came to his mind. He stared coldly at Elliot, unblinking and unflinching.

"Say goodbye to your precious Olivia," he said, moving his hand to the ECT machine.

Elliot fired a shot into his chest. But Granger didn't fall right away. Instead, he spoke not a word, as he looked down at the bloody wound in his chest. Granger reached his hand out and hit the button on the ECT machine as Elliot fired a second shot into Granger's head. His body finally collapsed onto the floor, motionless and lifeless.

"AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHH!" Olivia shrieked, as excruciating pain exploded through her brain.

Elliot immediately ran to her side. Her body had gone limp and unconscious, before stiffening up. He checked her pulse. It was very weak and thready. Suddenly, Olivia's body began to convulse and jerk violently, causing the bed to bang against the wall. Elliot pulled the mouth guard out of her mouth.

"Oh, my God!" he cried out. "She's having a seizure! Someone call a bus!"

Elliot lifted her head and neck to keep her airways clear. He then held her jaw shut and her head steady, as her body continued to convulse and jerk violently on the bed.

"Hang in there, Liv!" he pleaded, steadying his grip on her head and jaw. "Everything is going to be okay! Hang in there!"

**Will Olivia be okay? Find out in the next chapter! Stay tuned! More to come soon. Please Feel free to review!**


	17. Chapter 17

**Sorry, I took so long to post this chapter. It was especially difficult to write. The news of Chris Meloni leaving SVU depressed me so badly, I lost my my focus. I almost didn't want to continue this story, knowing that EO will never happen. But thanks to some encouraging Twitter family members (you know who you are), I decided to continue. So here's the latest chapter. Enjoy! Please read and review!**

**Location: Canada. Hospital.**

Elliot sat in the hospital waiting room, waiting for the doctor to come out with news of Olivia. He stared blankly out of the window as the light from the morning sun poured in. His mind replayed the events and images from that horrible night. He had found Olivia, but she was barely alive, barely conscious. He could still see her strapped to the bed, naked and bruised, laying on blood soaked sheets. Her eyes were glassy and bloodshot from all the drugs Granger had given her. What troubled him most was that he had shot Granger too late. Elliot couldn't stop him from pressing the button on the ECT machine. As he sat there pondering, Dana entered the waiting room and sat down beside him.

"Any news yet?" she asked him, handing him a cup of coffee.

"Thanks," he took the cup from her. "The doctor came out several hours ago. He said Liv was alive and they were stabilizing her."

"That's good," Dana commented, sipping her coffee.

"I guess," Elliot shrugged.

"What is it?" she inquired.

She could tell from his tone that something was wrong.

"Nothing," he lied.

He held the coffee cup and his hand but did not take a sip.

"Bullshit," Dana sassed. "I know something's bugging you. And you will tell me even if I have to beat it out of you."

"Olivia is alive, yes," Elliot began with a deep breath. "But at what cost? Granger nearly killed her. Again. And I couldn't stop him."

"But you saved her life," Dana. "That's the important thing. Plus, Granger is dead. You stopped him from ever hurting her again."

"That's true," agreed Elliot. "But the damage has already been done."

Dana realized he was right, but wasn't sure how to respond. Olivia had survived hell and would be physically and emotionally damaged. Possibly permanently damaged. And the extent of the damage they would not know until they spoke to Olivia. Dana was lost in thought when Elliot finally spoke up.

"Why did he do it?" he wondered out loud. "He had four guns pointed at him, and he still hit the button. Granger knew he didn't have a chance. Why did he go for it?"

"Suicide by cop," Dana told him. "He wanted you to shoot him. He decided he'd rather die than surrender and go to prison, where he would have gotten the death penalty anyway."

"And he was going to take Liv with him," Elliot said, putting the pieces together. "Where even in death, he would still control her. And he wanted me to watch her die."

"But you won," she reminded him. "You saved Olivia. She's still alive because of you. Always remember that."

"I know," he said, still deep in thought. "I just wish I shot him sooner. I should have shot him sooner."

"You did the right thing, Elliot," Dana assured him. "You played by the book. You gave him a chance to do the right thing. But Granger made his choice."

"There had to be another way," Elliot said as the scene replayed through his mind once again. "Maybe I didn't have to shoot him. I should have pulled him away from the machine."

"You and I both know that wouldn't have worked," she shook her head. "He would have pressed the button the moment you moved in. And then you'd have to shoot him. Just as you did before. Now matter which way you put it, it would have ended the same way. So put it behind you and focus on helping Olivia recover from this. She's gonna need you now more than ever."

"You're right," Elliot realized.

The sound of a door opening interrupted their conversation. They looked up to see the doctor step out and walk towards them. Elliot and Dana stood up as the doctor approached them.

"Hi, I'm Dr. Cavanaugh," he introduced himself.

"FBI Agent Dana Lewis," said Dana, formally.

"Detective Elliot Stabler," said Elliot. "How's Olivia?"

"She's lucky to be alive," replied Dr. Cavanaugh. "One more day out there, and she would've died. We've managed to stabilize her. She'll be moved to the ICU shortly. Her CT scan and MRI appear normal. However we won't know anything more until she's fully conscious. By then, we'll be able to do a full assessment. She should fully recover from this, but it will take time."

"ICU?" Elliot repeated.

"Yes," Dr. Cavanaugh continued. "Her tox screen results came back positive for multiple pharmaceutical drugs. Also, she was severely dehydrated when the paramedics brought her in. We've started her on an IV to flush the drugs out of her system and keep fluids in. We need to keep her in ICU to monitor her closely."

"That explains the broken syringes and bottles at the crime scene," realized Dana.

"Judging by the needle marks in her shoulder," added Dr. Cavanaugh. "And the heavy bruises on her thighs and trauma to her vaginal area, she was drugged and raped repeatedly. She's lucky it didn't kill her."

_Drugged and raped repeatedly?_ Elliot couldn't believe his ears. He now felt sorry he didn't empty his entire gun clip into Granger's body.

The doctor continued. "She also had more than twenty cuts and deep welts on her back, most likely from a whip or belt. We treated the cuts, some of which needed to be stitched up."

On the inside, Elliot was fuming with rage at the details of the attack. But he knew there was more to be said when he would finally get to see Olivia. On the outside however, he remained cool and calm as the doctor spoke. Yet it did not fool Dana. She could see the anger and grief in his eyes.

"Have you done a rape kit?" Elliot questioned.

"Not yet," answered Dr. Cavanaugh. "She's been through enough for now. But we will do it within the next twenty-four hours."

"When can we see her?" Elliot inquired.

"Soon," Dr. Cavanaugh replied. "When we move her to the ICU. But as I said before, she's not fully conscious. She's been in and out all day. And she'll continue to stay that way for the next twenty-four to forty-eight hours."

As Elliot opened his mouth to ask another question, the same door Dr. Cavanaugh exited opened as a nurse wheeled Olivia out of the room and into the hallway. Olivia lay unconscious, connected to an IV and a monitor.

"Here she comes now," said the doctor. "You two can follow the nurse to the ICU. Then you can stay with Olivia for a while."

While Dana went over to the nurse and Olivia, Elliot pulled the doctor aside.

"One more question," spoke Elliot, as he leaned in a little closer. "Did you do a pregnancy test like I asked?"

"Yes," Dr. Cavanaugh cleared his throat. "Olivia is pregnant. About six to eight weeks along. It's a miracle the fetus is still alive after what she's been through. Is the rapist the father?"

"It's possible," answered Elliot. "The man who did this to her also raped her about a month ago in a motel room."

The aftermath of the rape and abduction was more than enough to overwhelm Olivia. Now she had the stress of a pregnancy to add to it. A pregnancy that may have been the result of her rape. How was he going to tell her? Elliot knew this wouldn't be easy but he had to find a way to make this as less stressful as possible for Olivia. She had been through so much already. He couldn't bear to see her in anymore pain.

"What's the earliest a paternity test can be done?" he asked the doctor.

"As early as ten weeks," responded Dr. Cavanaugh. "That's when a chorionic villus sampling can be done."

"Alright," Elliot nodded, thinking to himself. "Thanks."

He followed Dana and the nurse to the ICU, where the nurse settled Olivia in, connecting her to several more machines and monitors. After the nurse left, Elliot sat down in the chair next to Olivia and took her hand. Dana sat down in a chair next to him.

"Hey," she nudged him, playfully, trying to cheer him up a bit. "She'll get through this just fine. She's strong. She's a fighter. Plus, she has you."

"Liv's pregnant," Elliot told her. "I don't know how I'm gonna tell her. She's been through so much already. How can I burden her with this too?"

Dana thought back to the conversation she had with Olivia the night they moved her to the safe house. She remembered how distraught Olivia became. Then Dana remembered the conversation she had with Elliot during the drive to Canada. She understood how Elliot felt.

"Tell her as gently as possible," Dana spoke. "She's going to find out regardless. And just be there for here. She's really going to need you. It won't be easy for either of you, but you'll get through this. It's going to take a lot of love, patience, and time."

Elliot nodded but said nothing. That was when Dana realized something else.

"How long has it been now?" she asked him. "Since the fire."

Elliot looked up. "Almost three months."

"I can't imagine what you're feeling right now," Dana said softly. "I know it's too soon for all this-"

"It's okay," Elliot interrupted her. "I've been thinking about it since you told me about the pregnancy test. I'm not sure if I'm ready for all this just yet, but I'll find a way to get past that. If the baby is mine, I want to do the right thing, for Liv and for the baby."

Suddenly, Dana's phone rang. "I have to take this call. I'll only be a moment."

She answered her phone as she walked out into the hallway. Elliot took his cue from her and pulled his phone out of his pocket. He called Cragen and updated him on Olivia's condition and all the case details. He left out Olivia's pregnancy. Elliot decided Olivia should reveal that when she was ready. But first, he had to figure out a way to tell her. He finished his call just as Dana reentered the room.

"My boss wants me back in New York," she told him. "We've done all we could here."

"Go ahead," he insisted. "I'll stay here with Liv. Fin and Munch are driving up here tomorrow."

"Well, it was great working with you again," Dana checked her pocket for her car keys. "I wish you two the best of luck with everything. Stay strong, Elliot. Not just for Olivia, but for you too."

"Thanks," Elliot forced a smile. "Take care of yourself, Dana."

With that Dana left. Elliot watched as Olivia slept peacefully, like an angel. Her right eye was still bruised but the swelling had begun to go down. As did the swelling in her lip. The bruise on her cheek had begun to fade. As Elliot held Olivia's hand in his, he studied the bruising on her wrist. It was deep and heavy. He could tell she struggled hard to get break free.

"I'm so sorry for what he did to you," Elliot whispered as a tear rolled down his eye. "I'll do everything I can to make it all better. I promise."

He raised his hand and ever so gently moved a strand of hair that was covering her face. He watched as she stirred in her sleep. Her eyes slowly fluttered open. Olivia eyes met Elliot's stare as he placed his hand on her cheek, stroking her face with his thumb.

"I knew you'd save me," Olivia spoke, her voice raspy and weak, and tears in her eyes.

"I'd go to the ends of the earth for you," he planted a tender kiss on her forehead. "I love you."

"I love you too," she told him as she gently squeezed his hand.

They gazed deeply into each others eyes for a moment that seemed to last forever.

"How are you feeling?" Elliot asked her.

"I've seen better days," Olivia answered.

"Don't you worry," he assured her. "We'll get through this. I'll make it all better."

"I know you will," she smiled at him, still gazing into his eyes.

Her grip on Elliot's hand loosened as she slowly lost consciousness again. Elliot reclined in the chair next to her, making himself comfortable. Still holding her hand, he drifted off into a sound sleep for the first time in several days.

**The Next Day.**

Elliot awoke to find himself still holding Olivia's hand. As he sat up and stretched, a nurse entered the room to check Olivia's vitals.

"Good morning," she greeted Elliot, smiling.

"Morning," he yawned, checking his watch.

It was nearly noon.

"How's Olivia doing?" he asked.

"Her vitals are normal, which is good," replied the nurse. "That means the drugs have worked their way out of her system. She should be fully awake soon."

"That's great," Elliot said, a little relieved.

"Dr. Cavanaugh should be in shortly," she informed Elliot. "Afterward, we'll run a rape kit."

"Okay," he stood up. "Thanks."

He went into the bathroom to freshen himself up a bit before the doctor came in. He washed his face and hands in the sink. Then he ran his hands through his hair. Elliot wished he had a fresh change of clothes, but unfortunately, all his things were at the hotel. He exited the bathroom to see that the doctor hadn't arrived yet. He sat back down next to Olivia and took her hand in his.

Suddenly, Olivia began to stir. She opened her eyes, and looked around, confused. She tried to sit up, but the pain was unbearable. She flinched as she laid back down.

"Liv, are you alright?" Elliot became concerned. "What's wrong?"

She looked down at her hands and saw the bruises on her wrists. She started to tremble and cry.

"Liv," Elliot put his arm around. "It's okay. Take it eas-"

"No!" Olivia cried hysterically, pushing his arm away. "Stop it!"

She backed away from him as she continued to sob and shiver uncontrollably. Elliot realized she was reliving her attack. He stood up and took a step away from the bed.

"Liv, it's me," he told her calmly. "It's Elliot."

"El?" she looked up at him as she began to quiet down.

"Yes," he nodded, moving a step forward.

"Oh, El!," she threw her arms around him and cried on his shoulder.

He put his arms around her, cradling her as she wept.

"Is everything okay in here?" Dr. Cavanaugh entered the room.

Elliot nodded as the doctor neared the bed. As soon as Elliot had calmed Olivia, Dr. Cavanaugh introduced himself to her and began doing a routine checkup.

"How are you feeling, Olivia?" asked Dr. Cavanaugh as he shone a small light in each of her eyes.

"I'm in a lot of pain," she answered. "Physically and emotionally."

"You were attacked," the doctor informed her. "Can you tell me what you can remember from the attack?"

She glanced over at Elliot.

"It's okay," he told her, reaching for her hand. "Go ahead,"

"Well," Olivia began. "I don't remember being knocked unconscious, but I remember him pulling me out of the bathroom, throwing me on the bed, and raping me in the motel room. And the next thing I know, I'm waking up here."

Elliot and Dr. Cavanaugh exchanged confused looks.

"What?" Olivia noticed their stares.

"Do you remember anything that happened afterward?" Elliot questioned.

"No," she answered. "Why?"

"Are you sure?" he inquired.

"Yes," Olivia was very confused. "Elliot, what's going on?"

"Elliot, can I see you in the hall for a minute?" Dr. Cavanaugh stood up.

"I'll be back in a minute," Elliot told Olivia.

Elliot followed Dr. Cavanaugh out into the hallway.

"Doc, what's going on?" demanded Elliot, worriedly. "Why can't she remember anything that happened in the last month?"

"You see," Dr. Cavanaugh explained. "During electroconvulsive therapy, a small amount of electric current is passed through the brain causing a mild seizure. Normal side effects include some short term memory loss, which is usually recovered in a matter of days. But in Olivia's case, not only was it improperly administered, but she was hit with a dangerous amount of electrical current, which caused a grand mal seizure."

"So what are you saying?" Elliot pressed on.

"What I'm saying," the doctor continued. "Is that Olivia is suffering from retrograde amnesia. Why her mind chose to go back to just after her first attack, I do not know."

The news slammed into Elliot's mind like a garbage truck.

"Will she ever recover her memories?" Elliot asked.

"Yes," Dr. Cavanaugh answered. "It may take days, weeks, or even months. However, some of the memory loss may be permanent, meaning she'll recover her memory, but there may be some holes."

"Oh, my God!" Elliot said in disbelief.

Olivia was trying to recall the details of her first attack. How could he tell her she'd been abducted and attacked a second time? How could he make her relive the repeated rapes and torture she endured for two days? She would be severely traumatized all over again. Not too mention, he'd have to tell her she'd been in a coma. But by far, the hardest thing he'd have to do would be to tell her that she's possibly pregnant with her rapist's child.

**Will Olivia ever get her memory back? And is Elliot the father of Olivia's baby? Or is Granger the father? Stay tuned! More to come soon! Please review! Thanx!**


	18. Chapter 18

**I apologize for the delay. I meant to have this posted sooner. But I had a family emergency. Anyway, here is the latest chapter. Enjoy! Please feel free to read and review!**

_"What I'm saying," the doctor continued. "Is that Olivia is suffering from retrograde amnesia. Why her mind chose to go back to just after her first attack, I do not know."_

_ The news slammed into Elliot's mind like a garbage truck._

_ "Will she ever recover her memories?" Elliot asked._

_ "Yes," Dr. Cavanaugh answered. "It may take days, weeks, or even months. However, some of the memory loss may be permanent, meaning she'll recover her memory, but there may be some holes."_

"Is there anything you can do for her?" Elliot asked.

"Unfortunately, no," Dr. Cavanaugh shook his head. "We just have to wait patiently. Just have Olivia go about her normal daily routine. As she goes along, she may come across things that trigger flashbacks. It could be anything, like smells, pain, sounds, the feel of something she touches, or she may even see places or people that will recall memories. Keep in mind, the memories will most likely come back in any random order. Depending on what triggers the memories will determine what memory she'll recall."

"What happens when she starts remembering?" inquired Elliot.

"Be as calm and gentle as possible," the doctor instructed. "As with most victims, Olivia will most likely relive the trauma, which I'm sure you're familiar with in your line of work. She'll be in an emotional and suggestive state. Also, she may be temporarily disoriented and confused after each flashback. When she's calmed down, speak to her gently and ask simple questions. Try to get her to remember as many details as possible. The more details the better. Then you can try to establish a date and time for the memories. Keeping a journal might even help with keeping the memories in order."

Elliot stood there deep in thought, letting everything the doctor said sink in.

"Are you okay, detective?" asked Dr. Cavanaugh. "Did you have any more questions?"

"I'm fine," Elliot lied. "I have no more questions. Thanks."

The doctor's diagnosis echoed in Elliot's mind as he reentered the room and sat back down next to Olivia. He tried to convince himself that Dr. Cavanaugh was wrong. Maybe Olivia was just temporarily confused. After all, she had been drugged. He'd seen victims before wake up confused and disoriented after being drugged. Elliot reached for Olivia's hand and held it in his.

"What the hell is going on?" Olivia demanded, pulling her hand away. "You two are looking at me strangely and talking about me in the hall. Am I missing something?"

"Actually...yes," Elliot couldn't lie to her again. "Your attack in the motel room happened about a month ago. You're missing all of your memories from the last month."

"What?" Olivia uttered in disbelief, tears streaming down her face. "How? The last thing I remember is Tucker raping me! I don't remember him knocking me unconscious! But I know he did because the next thing I know, I'm waking up here! What the fuck happened to me?"

_Tucker?_ Elliot couldn't believe his ears. She had used Granger's alias. He realized then that Dr. Cavanaugh's diagnosis was correct. He took a deep breath as he retold her about Tucker's real identity and her three week long coma. He recounted the details from the investigation. Then he continued to tell her about her abduction from the safe house.

"This is where it gets even more complicated," Elliot explained as gently as possible. "We don't know all the details of your abduction. We found a syringe by an open window, so we're assuming that he drugged you and carried you out."

Olivia continued to sob even harder as Elliot told her that Granger had driven her across the border into Canada and took her to an abandoned mental hospital where he tortured her for two days. Elliot didn't tell her about the rest stop because he wanted to see if she could remember it on her own. He was hoping to jog her memory. But Olivia continued to sob, staring at him in complete shock.

"We found you on the second night," Elliot told her. "You were badly beaten and barely alive. But we don't know what happened during the first two days there."

"I need to know," Olivia wiped away tears as she looked him in the eyes. "Did he...did he...rape me...again?"

The words caused her great pain as they came out of her mouth, but she felt that she needed to know.

Elliot nodded. "Yes. There were physical signs that he drugged and raped you repeatedly. Also, you have deep welts and cuts on your back. I'm so sorry, Liv."

"Oh my God!" Olivia cried, trembling as she examined her body.

As she brought her hands to her face to feel her facial wounds, she noticed the bruises on her wrists. She then pushed off the blanket, revealing the deep, heavy bruising on her thighs. She closed her eyes and leaned back, oblivious to the injuries to her back until it touched the bed. A stinging pain shot through her back causing a flashback.

_Suddenly, Olivia was back in the mental hospital. Granger stood over her, holding her hand down as he turned her over onto her stomach. She was drowsy and disoriented. The memory was hazy._

_ "Let's how your precious Elliot likes this!" Granger roared._

_ He raised his belt high above his head and struck Olivia in the back very hard. She cried out in pain, but he ignored her. Instead, he continued to whip her again and again, harder, and harder, leaving deep red welts on her back. Blood trickled across her back and down onto the bed._

_ Then suddenly, Olivia was laying on her back again, with Granger on top of her, inside of her. He moved deeper and harder and faster. He stared at her with an insatiable look in his eyes. She tried to fight him off but she was strapped to the bed._

The flashback ended. Olivia found herself screaming and crying hysterically while Elliot and Dr. Cavanaugh tried to calm her down.

"Stop!" Olivia cried out as Elliot stepped closer to her. "I'm so sorry! Just don't hurt anymore! Please!"

"It's okay," Elliot's voice was warm and soothing. "Take it easy. Everything is going to be just fine. Liv, look at me."

Trembling, Olivia looked up at Elliot with wide frightened eyes. She blinked a few times before realizing where she was. She stopped screaming and took a few deep breaths.

"It's okay," Elliot repeated, still looking her in the eyes. "Take a moment to put your feet on the ground."

Olivia leaned forward and put her head on Elliot's shoulder as he put his arms around her. He continued to hold her still trembling body as her screams died down to a whimper. She continued to weep softly on his shoulder.

"You remembered something, didn't you?" he whispered in her ear.

Olivia nodded. "He...whipped me...with his belt...over and over. Then he raped me. It hurt...so much. And I couldn't stop him. I was dizzy...and disoriented. It's all true. He really did attack me again."

"He can't hurt you anymore," Elliot kissed her forehead tenderly and held her close. "He's dead. I killed him."

"It was my fault," Olivia sobbed, staring blankly. "I made him angry. So angry that he hit me."

"What did you do that made him angry," Elliot asked her.

Olivia gulped. "I called your name. I told him you'd find me, no matter what."

"Listen to me," he held her face in both hands. "None of that was your fault. Don't you ever believe that. Ever."

"Are you sure he's dead?" Olivia asked, still frightened and confused.

"Yes," he assured her.

Elliot told her about the night he and Dana found her. How he shot Granger to stop him from shocking Olivia with the ECT machine.

"He...shocked me?" Olivia couldn't believe it.

Elliot nodded. "That's why you lost your memory. You have retrograde amnesia. I'm so sorry I couldn't stop him."

"It wasn't your fault," she told him. "You did what you had to do. And I don't blame you for it."

Suddenly, there was a knock on the door. A nurse entered the room.

"I'm sorry to interrupt," she said. "But I'm here to take Olivia to get a rape kit done."

"You mean, you haven't done one yet?" Olivia asked.

"No," answered Dr. Cavanaugh. "We needed to stabilize you first and flush the drugs out of your system."

"What about from my first attack?" Olivia asked Elliot. "A rape kit was done then, right?"

"Yes," Elliot told her.

He then told her the results of the first rape kit.

"The condom broke?" asked Olivia in disbelief.

Elliot nodded. "Liv, there something else you should know. You're pregnant."

"I'm...pregnant?" uttered Olivia in shock. "Are you sure?"

Dr. Cavanaugh nodded. "The test was positive. You're approximately six to eight weeks along."

Olivia suddenly had another flashback. Memories of the precinct filled her mind. She remembered following Dana out the back exit. She remembered Dana telling her about the rape kit. Fear and confusion swept through Olivia's mind as the scene changed to the safe house. Anger and despair filled her as she remembered her fight with Elliot the following morning. Then she remembered afterward when she was finally ready to open up to him.

"No, no, no, no," Olivia whimpered. "I can't have his baby. I just can't"

"We don't for sure that it's his," Elliot informed her. "The baby could be mine."

"That's right," Olivia remembered their night of passion in the motel room. She was glad that memory hadn't been lost. "I'd give anything to have that night back."

"Me too," Elliot said, gently. "But why don't we talk about this later? Right now the doctor's waiting to do the rape kit. I'll go with you if it will help."

"Could you please?" she begged him. "I don't think I could go through it alone."

"Of course," he tenderly kissed her cheek. He then turned to the doctor. "I think we're ready now."

**Several Days Later.**

"Knock, knock," called Fin as he tapped on the door of Olivia's hospital room.

"Hey, Fin," Olivia forced a smile. "Where's Munch? He didn't come with you?"

"I left his ass back at the station house," Fin quipped. "Ain't no way in hell I'm listening to his conspiracy crap for eight hours!"

"I don't blame you," Elliot told him. "I would've done the same damn thing. Did you bring Olivia's clothes?"

"Yep," Fin held up a duffel bag. "Picked it up from the safe house on my way up here."

"Thanks," Olivia took the bag from Fin. "You're a life saver."

Olivia went into the bathroom to change her clothes and freshen up. Meanwhile, Elliot and Fin began to talk.

"How's she doing?" Fin asked.

"She's traumatized," Elliot answered. "She's upset because she can't remember much. She's still in pain, physically and emotionally."

"How much does she remember?" Fin inquired.

"Not much," Elliot responded. "She remembers the trip to the safe house. And very little about her abduction. That's about it. She doesn't remember coming out of her coma, or much of what happened at the abandoned mental hospital."

Once again, Elliot left out Olivia's pregnancy. He felt it was Olivia's choice whether or not she wanted to share it.

"Can't say I blame her," Fin sympathized. "I wouldn't want to remember my own attack either."

"Tell me about it," Elliot said. "I'm just glad all this is finally over. I want to get Olivia home and help her recover from this."

"I hear ya," Fin agreed.

Their conversation was cut short when Olivia emerged from the bathroom, fully dressed in jeans and a navy blue blouse. Her hair was neatly brushed and her makeup was done. Although her bruises were fading, they were still visible through her makeup.

"So are we all ready to go?" she asked.

"Yep," Elliot replied.

With that, he and Fin helped Olivia with her things. Once Olivia was officially discharged, they exited the hospital and settled in the car for the long ride home. Fin was at the wheel, while Elliot sat in back with Olivia.

"So, what happens now?" Olivia asked Elliot after several moments of silence.

"Well," Elliot began. "Once we gather all the evidence we've obtained, from New York and Canada, we'll send it all to the FBI. They should have enough to charge Lowell Harris, or Carl Grady, whatever he wants to be called, with rape, murder, and accessory to rape and murder. He'll be transferred to a maximum security federal prison where he'll spend the rest of his life."

"Really?" Olivia gasped.

"Yes," Elliot assured her. "He's never going to get out. And Granger is dead. They'll never be able to hurt you again. It's finally over."

"Oh, thank God," Olivia sighed a breathe of relief.

"How about we try to get some sleep?" Elliot suggested. "It's going to be a long ride. Then when we get home, we can recover from this mess together."

"Home?" she repeated. "As in my apartment?"

He nodded. "Unless you want to stay at my place."

"No, thanks," she shook her head. "I've been away from mine way too long. I can't wait to sleep in my own bed again."

"I know," Elliot put an arm around her. "But for now, how about you sleep on my shoulder."

"I'll try," Olivia rested her head on his shoulder. "But I'm not tired."

"That's all I ask," Elliot wrapped his arms around her.

Olivia leaned back against Elliot and tried to relax. Elliot too leaned back causing Olivia's head to descend onto his chest. She began to relax to the soothing sound of his heartbeat and the rhythm of his chest slowly rising and falling with each breath he took. It felt like a lifetime since she had felt such comfort. Before she knew it, she had drifted off to sleep.

Elliot was surprised to find himself yawning. He was so concerned about Olivia that he didn't realize how tired he was. He looked down at Olivia, already fast asleep in his arms, and smiled. It had been so long since he felt this peaceful. Elliot yawned again, his eyelids growing heavy with sleep. He kissed the top of Olivia's head and closed his eyes, falling sound asleep.

_Elliot found himself back inside the abandoned mental hospital. He wasn't sure which floor he was on. He looked around the hallway to the left, then to the right. Both ways looked the same. Dark and deserted. He picked a direction and began walking, when suddenly he heard a scream._

_ "Olivia!" he cried out, recognizing the scream._

_ He broke into a run and raced down the hall in the direction of the scream. When he reached the end of the hall, it brought him to a fork that branched off into three different directions. Elliot was confused. He didn't remember the hallways being this complicated. Or that there were so many of them._

_ "Olivia!" he called out again. "Where are you?"_

_ "Elliot!" her voice echoed through the halls. "Help me!"_

_ He flew down the halls, following the sound her cries. He turned down one hallway, then another, again and again, becoming disoriented and confused. All the hallways looked the same. How could he be sure he wasn't going around in circles? Not too mention he was growing tired. How long had he been searching? It felt like hours._

_ "Help me, Elliot!," Olivia's voice cried again. "I need you!"_

_ "I'm coming, Liv!" Elliot shouted._

_ Once again, he ran down the hall, with Olivia's voice as his guide. He refused to give up. He had to find her, no matter what it took. Elliot suddenly came to a stop when he found himself in a circular room. The hallways branched out in ten or more directions all around him. It reminded him of the story, _Alice in Wonderland_, which he used to read to his kids when they were young._

_ "Now I know how Alice felt when she fell down the rabbit hole," muttered Elliot._

_ Except, here there were no locked doors, only open hallways. And there were no keys or magic cakes or drinks on a glass table. And there was surely no white rabbit in a waistcoat running around. Elliot peered down each hall, not sure which one he had just come from. Which hall would take him to Olivia? Finally, he peered down one hall and saw a light at the very end. He knew it had to be Olivia. He raced down the hall toward the light, but stopped just before he reached the light, which was coming out of an open door. He pulled out his gun and entered through the door with his weapon drawn._

_ "I've been expecting you," taunted Granger._

_ He was standing in front of the nightstand by Olivia's bed, his hand on the button of the ECT machine. Olivia lay strapped to the bed, naked, battered, and bruised. She stared at him with pleading eyes as she begged him to save her._

_ "Elliot!" she called to him. "Help me! Please!"_

_ "It's okay, Liv," he told her. "I'm here now."_

_ Elliot then turned to Granger._

_ "Let her go!" Elliot demanded. "Or I'll blow your fucking head off!"_

_ "Say goodbye to your precious Olivia!" Granger grinned wickedly as he hit the button._

_ "AAAAAAHHHH!" Olivia's shrieks filled the entire room as her body began to jerk and convulse violently on the bed._

_ "OLIVIA!" Elliot reached his arms out to her. "NO!"_

_ Suddenly, Elliot found himself falling through the floor. Everything dissolved around him into a dark nothingness. Olivia's screams echoed all around him as he continued falling deep into the darkness._

Elliot's eyes snapped open and he sat up straight. He looked around to find that it had all been a dream. He was back in the car with Olivia and Fin.

"Are you okay?" Olivia asked him.

"Yea," he replied. "Just a bad dream."

"Do you want to talk about it?" she moved closer to him.

"Maybe later," he told her. "How long was I asleep?"

"A few hours," Fin answered. "It's a good thing Liv woke up before you did. You would've knocked her to floor waking up the way you did."

"Are _you_ okay," Elliot asked Olivia.

"I'm alright," Olivia responded. "Just hungry."

"You and me both," Fin spoke up. "You guys want to stop and grab a bite to eat?"

"That would be great," said Elliot.

"Hey, look!" Olivia called out. "There's a rest stop over there on the right."

As Olivia stared at the rest stop, she was overcome by a sense of familiarity. Memories of the rest stop began to flow through her mind. She remembered being incapacitated in the backseat of Granger's car. She remembered stopping at the rest stop, where she wrote a note and hid it for Elliot to find. He never mentioned the rest stop to her before. Did he ever find the note?

"Elliot," Olivia turned to look at him. "I just had another flashback. I was here at this rest stop. And I left a note for you. Did you ever find it?"

"Yes, we did," Elliot smiled. "We would've never been able to follow the car that he stole and get as far as we did, had it not been for your note. I'm so glad you remembered!"

He gave her a big hug.

"How come you never mentioned it before?" she demanded.

"I wanted to see if you could remember it on your own," he told her. "And you did. It's a good sign."

"We're here," Fin called out as he pulled into the parking lot of the rest stop.

"Great," Olivia nudged Elliot. "Let's go eat. I'm starving."

**Stay tuned! More exciting chapters to come soon! Please feel free to read and review! By the way, thanks for all the wonderful reviews. You guys are awesome! You all rock!**


	19. Chapter 19

**I am so sorry for the wait. I've had so much going on lately, it's been hard finding time to write. But I finally finished writing this the day before yesterday. I was getting ready to post this when I received a call that my great-grandmother had passed away. When I've had some time to grieve, I'll begin the next chapter. I hope you all enjoy this latest chapter. Please feel free to read and review.**

**Location: Olivia's Apartment.**

"Welcome home," Elliot told Olivia as she unlocked her apartment door.

She held the door open as Elliot brought her belongings inside.

"Thanks," she said as she suddenly pushed past him, running to the bathroom.

As Elliot locked the door, he could hear Olivia vomiting. Morning sickness. He remembered it all too well. Moments later, she emerged from the bathroom holding her stomach.

"Are you okay?" Elliot asked, coming to her side.

"I'll be fine," Olivia groaned. "I just need to lay down."

Elliot took her by the hand and led her to the bedroom where he helped her into bed. She felt tired, dizzy, and nauseated. The bruises on her face were fading red and purple, along with the bruises on her wrists and ankles.

"Where did you put my bags?" Olivia asked, laying her head down.

"In the living room," Elliot answered. "Do you want me to bring them in here?"

"No, it's late," she stretched out on the bed. "I'll unpack in the morning."

"I think that's a good idea," he agreed. "You need to rest. How about I make you some tea?"

"I'd like that," she forced a smile. "Thanks."

Olivia watched Elliot leave the bedroom, then she rolled over on her side as she tried to relax. She was afraid to close her eyes. For every time she did, she saw Granger's face, those cold, menacing eyes, staring back at her. She was still trying to make sense of everything. Where was she to go from here? She felt so lost and confused. Being attacked once was bad enough, but being attacked a second time and unable to remember barely anything was horrifying. How was she supposed to recover from something she couldn't remember? Part of Olivia wished Elliot and the doctor never told her she'd been attacked a second time. Now it was all she could think about. The flashback of Granger repeatedly whipping her was painful enough. She was afraid to remember anything else.

As she opened her eyes and sat up in bed, Olivia placed her hands on her stomach, thinking about the unborn baby growing within her. What if Granger was the father? She didn't think she could handle bringing his child into the world. What if every time she looked at her child's face, she would see Granger staring back at her? Olivia prayed more than anything that Elliot was the father. But she felt it was too soon for him. That having a baby might do him more harm than good. He was finally starting to move on and live his life. The last Olivia ever wanted to do was hurt Elliot. And she also had to think about herself. She wanted a baby more than anything, but would having this baby do _her _more harm than good?

Once again, Olivia felt the dizziness setting in as her head began to throb. Tears stung her eyes as she began to weep softly. She got up from the bed and made her way to the bathroom. She reached up to open the medicine cabinet, but paused at her reflection in the mirror. The ghost of her mother stared back at her as Olivia thought to herself, wondering if her mother felt this way when she found out she was pregnant with Olivia. Did the pain eat her alive? And was she just as forlorn and confused? She now felt a new understanding for her mother. But unfortunately, it didn't ease her pain any less. Olivia couldn't put her baby through the same hell her mother put her through, all those years of physical and emotional abuse.

Olivia calmed her trembling hand before finally opening the medicine cabinet. She grabbed the bottle of Tylenol and closed the cabinet. She exited the bathroom, Tylenol in hand, and sat back down on the bed. Elliot returned to the bedroom with a cup of tea. He waited for Olivia to lay back before handing her the cup. She set the cup down on the nightstand at her bedside. Then she opened the bottle of Tylenol, pouring two of them into her palm and replacing the lid.

"What's that you're taking?" Elliot asked, watching her take the pills with her tea.

"Tylenol," Olivia held up the bottle for him to see.

"Oh," he nodded silently.

The two of them sat in silence. Elliot wanted so much to talk to her, to help her on the road to recovery, but he couldn't think of the right words to say. He was afraid to say something that might upset her. So instead he watched Olivia quietly sip her tea.

"Are you feeling any better?" Elliot said the first sensible thing that came to mind.

"A little," Olivia spoke softly.

"Can I get you anything else?" he inquired.

"No," she told him, setting the empty teacup on the nightstand. "I'm alright for now. Thanks anyway."

"No problem," he said, standing up. "Well, I'll be on the couch if you need me."

"No!" she yelped in a frightened tone. She took a deep breath and recollected herself. "I'm sorry...I didn't mean...Could you stay in here...with me? Please?"

Even though Elliot would only be one room away from her, it felt as if he were a million miles away. She could feel the anxiety rising in her body as tightness formed in her chest, making her breathing shallow and quick.

"Yes, of course," Elliot put his arms around her, only to find she was shaking like a leaf and sweating profusely. "Liv, what's wrong? Talk to me."

"I just don't want to be alone right now," Olivia whimpered.

"I'm here," he consoled her. "Granger is dead and will never be able to hurt you ever again. Everything's going to be okay. You'll see."

"I really hope you're right," she laid her head on his shoulder.

Elliot pulled Olivia closer to him, holding her in his arms until she finally stopped shaking and her breathing returned to normal.

"It's late," he reminded her. "Why don't we get some sleep?"

Olivia nodded nervously, her body still shaking. "I just want to take a shower first."

"Can't it wait till morning?" Elliot asked her calmly.

"No!" she snapped. She swallowed several mouthfuls of air, before speaking again in a quieter tone. "I need to shower now."

"Okay," Elliot gave in, not wanting to cause her any further distress. "I'll be right here in the bedroom when you get out."

With that, Olivia went into the bathroom and shut the door behind her. She felt dirty, uncomfortable, and physically and emotionally tense, among other things. She thought a hot shower might help ease some of the anxiety and tension. She was somewhat right.

She turned on the shower, letting the water run hot. As she began to undress herself, she caught a glimpse of the scars on her back in the mirror's reflection. Olivia immediately fell to the floor into fetal position as another flashback came over here. It was of Granger whipping her repeatedly, then raping her. She blinked her eyes several times, bringing her back to reality. She looked around to find herself on the bathroom floor, whimpering and shaking. The shower was still running.

Olivia slowly pulled herself off the floor and stepped into the shower. She let the hot water pour over her body as she reached for the bath gel and mesh sponge. She lathered up the sponge and began gently bathing herself.. But in her mind, she couldn't feel clean enough. Soon the gentle bathing turned into frantic scrubbing. It felt like no matter how hard she tried, she couldn't cleanse her body of Granger's essence. She felt so dirty and damaged.

When Olivia stepped out of the shower, she grabbed a towel off the hook behind the door. As she stared at the towel, she had another flashback.

_This time, it was of the safe house. She was walking down the stairs, when she saw Elliot sitting in an armchair. He stood up when he saw her coming down. She ran into his arms._

_"I'm sorry," Olivia threw her arms around him and sobbed._

_ "I'm sorry too," Elliot cradled her and stroked her hair. "I'll never lie to you again."_

_ It felt so good to be in his strong, muscular arms, which at the same time were warm and gentle. She took a deep breath as she felt her body start to relax._

_ "I appreciate that," she spoke softly. "Even though I understand why you did."_

_ "You don't have to talk now if you don't want to," he comforted her. "I should've never tried to force you."_

_ "It's alright," she forgave him. "I should've talked to you. I need to talk to you."_

_ Olivia suddenly found herself in the bathroom. She turned on the faucet and let the bathtub fill with water. She was about to undress when she realized there were no towels in the bathroom. Then she remembered that there was a closet in the hall. She left the bathroom and wandered over to the closet._

_ "Liv?" Elliot called, hearing the noise she was making. "Is that you? Everything alright?"_

_ "Yea, I'm fine," she confirmed. "Just getting a fresh towel from the closet."_

_ "Just making sure," he called._

_ She opened it to find plenty of fresh towels inside. Olivia reached in and pulled one out. But as she was about to shut the closet door, she felt a sharp pain in her shoulder. Suddenly, all of her limbs became numb and she fell to the floor. She tried to cry out, but couldn't open her mouth, or even make a sound. Towering above her, was Dennis Granger, smiling wickedly and holding a syringe in his hand. He leaned over her._

_ "Hello, Detective" he whispered into her ear. "Miss me?"_

The flashback ended and Olivia was standing in the bathroom naked clutching the towel tightly. She realized she never did have that talk with Elliot. Even when she pushed him away, was still there for her. He never gave up on her. She knew now that it was time to have that overdue talk with Elliot.

Olivia finally emerged from the bathroom wrapped in a towel. She sat down on the bed as she searched her dresser for some clean clothes. Her towel drooped down, revealing her scars, as she bent lower, rummaging through the bottom drawer. The sight of the scars made rage boil and rise inside of Elliot, but he pushed it back down. He couldn't let her see him get angry. He had to stay strong, for her and for the baby.

When she was finally dressed and ready for bed, Olivia laid in bed next Elliot, trying to find the right words to begin her conversation. As she searched her mind, she grew sleepy. She didn't realize until now how tired she was. But she couldn't let sleep conquer her just yet. She had to talk to Elliot, who was watching her every move.

"Stop fighting it," he told her. "Just go to sleep."

"I can't," she yawned. "Every time I close my eyes, I see his face."

"I know how you feel," he confessed. "I used to see the house burning and hear my family screaming for me to help them every time I closed my eyes. I still do from time to time."

"How do you handle it?" Olivia asked him.

"I think of you," Elliot replied, kissing her forehead. "It helps me remember that I have something to live for."

"I thought of you too," she smiled, gazing into his deep ocean blue eyes. "In the bits and pieces that I can remember, I was always thinking of you. It was the only thing that kept me going. I never gave up hope. Somehow, I always knew you'd find me."

"I'd die for you," he said.

"You almost did," she reminded him.

"But an angel saved my life," Elliot wrapped his arms around Olivia, holding her close to him. "Now enough talk. Time to sleep."

"But I really need to talk to you," Olivia yawned again, her eyes growing heavy with sleep.

"We'll talk in the morning," he too yawned, giving into to his weariness.

With that, Olivia laid her head on his shoulders, thinking of him as she drifted off to sleep. Moments later. Elliot too fell asleep, thinking of Olivia, happy to have her home safe.

**The Next Morning.**

Olivia awoke after a restless and uneventful night full of nightmares and night terrors. Not too mention frequent trips to the bathroom to either vomit or urinate. Several times in the night she had awoken screaming and crying. Elliot held her shaking body, trying to calm her down. She had nightmares of Granger raping her in the motel room, and bits and pieces of what she could remember from the mental hospital. So often the two attacks melded together in her dreams that it became difficult to tell them apart.

Now she was looking around. She had almost forgotten she was home. Olivia started to sit up when she noticed an arm around her waist. She thought it was _his_ arm and became frightened. She threw the arm of her and jumped out of bed. But she stumbled and fell to the floor, hitting her shoulder on the nightstand. As she rubbed her shoulder, she noticed a purplish bruise and needles marks and was suddenly overcome by another flashback.

_She found herself in the abandoned mental hospital tied to the bed. Granger was lurking over her with a syringe in his hand. Olivia screamed and struggled to free herself as he held her down and injected the syringe into her shoulder. He then removed his pants and underwear and positioned himself on top of her. She released a soft cry as Granger entered her and began thrusting fast and hard. Moments later, she could feel the drug taking full effect on her body. Her muscles tightened and she became twitchy. This made Granger angry and unable to perform sexually. He started to beat Olivia, hitting her in the face and body._

_ Angrily, Granger grabbed another vial from the cart and filled another syringe. Then once again, he injected the syringe into her shoulder, while she cried and pleaded for her life. Moments later, Olivia began to feel disoriented and her muscles started to relax. Her senses became hazy and distorted. She began to hallucinate. In her hallucination, she saw Elliot coming to rescue her from this torture chamber._

_ "Elliot!" she called out to him. "Help me! Please!"_

_ As he drew closer to her bed, he hovered over her. Olivia thought he was going to untie her. But as his face neared hers, he flashed her a twisted grin and turned into Granger. Olivia shrieked and fought as hard as she could to free herself, but with no luck. He was already on top of her, forcing her legs apart._

_ "It's okay, Olivia," Granger taunted, using her hallucinations against her. "It's me Elliot."_

_ "No, you're not!" she cried out. "Get off me!"_

_ Granger ignored her cries as he continued to manipulate her body with his own. He thruster deeper, faster, and harder into her, coercing her body to move with his against her will. He ignored her pleas as he forced her to experience pleasure until her body succumbed to him beyond her control._

"Liv!" Elliot called her name, trying to bring her back to reality.

She was sitting on the floor hugging her knees, crying and shivering. Her breathing was quick and shallow. He realized she was a having a flashback. He immediately hopped out of bed and knelt down beside her.

"NOOOO!" Olivia shrieked as she backed away from him.

"It's me, Elliot," he spoke gently.

"No, you're not!" she yelled. "Get away from me!"

"Liv, look at me," Elliot took a step back, holding his hands up. "I'm not going to hurt you. I just want to talk."

Olivia's screaming died down to a whimper as she looked around. She had backed up into a corner, fighting off Elliot, who had been trying to coax her out of the corner. She blinked her eyes, not sure if she was still in her flashback hallucinating.

"Liv," he spoke calmly and gently, looking her in the eyes. "It's really me. Look around. We're in your bedroom. Touch my hand. I'm real."

He held his hand out to her, but she flinched, jumping back into the corner.

"I'm sorry," he put both his hands back up in the air. "Just pinch yourself then. Pinch your arm or your hand. This is reality. Not a flashback"

Olivia did as he said and pinched her arm. It hurt. She was almost sure he was right, but she wanted to do one more test. She slowly crawled out of the corner and moved toward Elliot, who remained absolutely still. He didn't want to distress her anymore and make her retreat again. Olivia lifted her hand and gently touched his face. It didn't change. This was real, not a hallucination, not a flashback. She let herself fall into his arms and began to weep.

"I'm so sorry," Olivia sobbed.

"It's alright," Elliot wrapped his arms around her and kissed her cheek. "You have nothing to be sorry for."

"It felt so real," she whimpered.

"Tell me what you saw," he instructed.

Olivia told him what happened from the moment she awoke and every detail of her flashback that she could remember. Elliot listened intently, keeping a brave face, not letting his rage show. When she was finished, he helped her up off the floor and into bed.

"No, I'm not tired," Olivia insisted. "I need to take a shower."

"Okay," Elliot said softly. "Would you like some tea when you get out?"

"Yes, please," she nodded. "Thanks."

While she took a shower, Elliot went into the kitchen to make tea for Olivia, and coffee for himself. He also made breakfast for the two of them, eggs, bacon, and toasted bagels. A short while later, Olivia finally emerged from the bathroom, dressed in black jeans and cream colored blouse. They sat down together and ate their breakfast in silence. Neither of them knew what to say at the moment. Olivia remembered that she still needed to talk to him, but she couldn't figure out how to start the conversation.

"So what happens now?" Olivia spoke up after a while. "With us, I mean. And the baby. Where do we go from here?"

"I'm not really sure," Elliot answered her, honestly.

"Neither am I," she sighed deeply. "That's why I think we should break up."

"What?" his voice rose. "But why?"

"I can't put you through this," she began to cry. "The flashbacks, my emotional outbursts, the sleepless nights. I'm not going to wake up one morning and suddenly be my old self again. I don't want you to have to wait around for me to get better."

"I can't let you go through this alone," he said, firmly. "You helped me get back on my feet. Now I'm going to help you get back on yours."

She knew he was right. Olivia remembered how devastated Elliot was after his family died. He tried to push her away when she tried to help. But she never gave up on him. She was always there when he needed her.

"You're right," Olivia realized. "I'm not thinking clearly. I'm just so scared. What if the baby is his? I can't have his baby. I can't do to a child all the things my mother did to me. What if it grows up to be just like him?"

"Liv, you can't be sure that it's his," Elliot told her. "This baby could very well be mine."

"And if it is yours?" she continued. "Are you sure you're ready for a baby just yet? You don't feel like it's too soon? Don't tell me you haven't thought about it."

"I have thought about it," he admitted. "A lot. I don't know if I'm ready for another kid, but we can't change the past. The baby will be here before we know it. And if it is mine, I at least want to do right by it."

"I don't know if I'm ready for this baby either," Olivia confessed.

"It's a lot to take in," Elliot comforted her. "But we have to decide how we're going to handle it. I spoke with Dr. Cavanaugh and he said you should be ready for a chorionic villus sampling in a couple of weeks. A paternity test can be done then. If that's what you want to do."

"Yea,"Olivia nodded. "I'll make an appointment. I'm also going to start counseling again. It really helped me after what happened at Sealview."

"That's great, Liv," he complimented.

"I think you should too," she told him.

"Now, Liv-," he started.

"El," she interrupted him. "Don't tell you're fine. I know I'm not the only one having nightmares. What I want to know is how long you've been having them."

"A few weeks," Elliot couldn't lie to her. "They're always the same. The house is on fire. And my family is inside screaming my name, begging for me to rescue them. I run to the house, but it's too far away. So I run faster and faster, but the faster I run, the farther the house becomes. But lately, they've gotten worse."

Elliot wept as he told her about the nightmare he had in the car ride home, where he dreamed of Olivia back in the abandoned mental hospital.

"Elliot, I'm so sorry," she held his hand in hers. "I wish you would've told me."

"I should have," he said, wiping his tears. "I'm sorry."

"Go to counseling," Olivia persuaded him. "It will make the nightmares

and flashbacks go away."

"Alright," Elliot agreed. "I'll do it. For us."

**Who's the father of Olivia's baby? And what will be Elliot and Olivia's next move? Look for the answers in the next chapter! Stay tuned! More exciting chapters to come soon! Please feel free to read and review!**


	20. Chapter 20

**Sorry, for the long wait. I meant to have this posted much sooner. Had so much going on. After taking some time to mourn the loss of my great-grandma, I finally got back into my writing. Then I got side-tracked by the birth of my nephew. I got stuck for a while, then I started making progress. Then the earthquake and Hurricane Irene hit, and I lost power for a whole day. But eventually, I got back into my zone. So without further adieu, here's Chapter 20. Enjoy!**

**Location: 16th Precinct.**

"Are you sure want to do this?" Elliot asked in a concerned tone.

He and Olivia stepped into the elevator, heading up to the SVU squad room. They were on their way to the hospital for Olivia's chorionic villus sampling, but she insisted they make one stop first. She was a little nervous. For this was her first time back at the precinct since her attack.

"Yes," Olivia pushed the button for their floor. "I have to. If Granger is the baby's father, then it pertains to the case. Cragen needs to know this. As do Munch and Fin."

The elevator jerked then began its ascension to the squad room.

"You're right," he agreed. "But are you emotionally ready?"

"I'm not sure," she sighed deeply. "But you knew before I did. Why didn't you tell them?"

"Well," Elliot began. "It's your body and your baby, and after everything you've been through, I think you should the one to reveal the news. When you're ready, of course."

"I appreciate that," Olivia smiled, slipping her hand into his. "I think I can handle Cragen, Fin, and Munch knowing. Only because it's their case. But I don't want the rest of the unit to know. At least not yet. I don't think I could handle them staring at me. It's bad enough they know I was attacked."

"I understand," he sympathized.

The elevator lurched forward as it reached its destination. The doors opened revealing the SVU squad room, which was bustling with activity. Detectives and officers alike, were taking statements, working cases, and interrogating suspects. Elliot and Olivia stepped forward out of the elevator. Suddenly, all activity halted and all eyes were on Olivia. She looked around nervously, beads of perspiration dripped down her face as she felt the anxiety rising inside her. Her breathing quickened and became shallow. She began to feel faint, dizzy, and shaky. Her grip on Elliot's hand tightened, squeezing his hand.

"What the hell are you all staring at?" Elliot yelled, diverting everyone's attention away from Olivia. "Don't you all have work to do?"

With that, everyone returned to what they were previously doing. Elliot took Olivia by the hand and quickly led her to the break room. He sat her down at the table then walked over to the refrigerator where he pulled out a bottle of water and handed it to Olivia.

"Thanks, El," Olivia opened the bottle and took a long sip. "Not just for the water, but also for out there...at the elevator..."

Her voice trailed off. She swallowed a few mouthfuls of air as she tried to steady her nerves. She closed her eyes and planted her feet firmly on the ground to try to stop the dizziness. She took another long sip of water.

"No problem," he sat down next to her and held her hand. "Just take it easy. Relax. Breathe. You know you don't have to do this right now. We can always come back."

"Yes, I do," Olivia insisted, taking a few more sips of water.

She took a few more deep breaths and kept her eyes closed, relaxing until the dizziness went away. Then she opened her eyes and drank the rest of her water. When she was finished, she sat up and looked at Elliot.

"I'm ready," she told him.

They entered Cragen's office to find him sitting at his desk filling out some paperwork. He stood up and greeted Elliot and Olivia.

"Olivia!" Cragen gasped. "What are you doing here? You should be at home recovering."

"I know," she replied. "And you're right. But I'm here because I have some information that may be pertinent to the case."

Cragen poked his head out of his office and looked around for Munch and Fin. Sure enough, they were seated at their desks, hard at work.

"Fin! Munch!" Cragen called. "Step into my office please!"

Munch and Fin stood up from their desks and made their way to Cragen's office. Once inside, Cragen ordered them to shut the door. Both detectives noticed Olivia, but said nothing. Neither wanted to make her feel uncomfortable.

"What's up, Captain?" Fin asked.

Cragen spoke. "Olivia says she may have information pertaining to your case. And since you're still working with the Feds, I want whatever she has to say to stay in this room. Do you understand?"

Fin and Munch nodded their heads in response.

Olivia cleared her throat and began. "I know you guys are helping the Feds put Harris away for life and I have some information that might help. Well..., I guess there's really no easy way to say this, but..., um..., I'm pregnant. About ten weeks along now. And there's a chance Granger may be the father."

"What do you mean chance?" Munch asked. "Who else could have fathered your baby?"

"Me," Elliot spoke up. "We slept together once..."

"About a week before I was raped in the motel room," Olivia finished his sentence. "I have an appointment this afternoon for a chorionic villus sampling. They'll be doing a paternity test as well."

"Why don't you two go with them," Cragen said to Fin and Munch. "Collect the sampling then take it to Warner for DNA testing. This way, if Granger is the father, you don't break chain of evidence."

Fin and Munch nodded in response.

"And as Cragen said," Olivia reminded them. "This conversation doesn't leave this office. Also, I don't anyone else to know about my pregnancy just yet."

"Don't worry, Liv," Munch assured her. "You have our word."

"Yea," Fin reassured her. "We got your back."

"Thanks guys," she said, giving them a quick hug. Then she turned to Cragen and gave him a quick hug as well. "And thank you too, Captain."

**Location: Hospital.**

"Hello, Olivia," greeted the doctor. "I'm Dr. Angela Waiss. How are you doing today?"

"I'm okay, I guess," Olivia answered. "Just a little nervous."

Olivia was laying on the exam room table, Elliot was at her side, holding her hand. Fin and Munch stayed in the waiting room.

"Don't worry," Dr. Waiss smiled kindly. "There's nothing to be nervous about. We're going to start by doing an ultrasound first, then work our way into the chorionic villus sampling. Any questions before we begin?"

"Yes," Olivia nodded anxiously. "Just one. Um...What if...um...? Well, let's say that, uh..."

Her voice trailed off. Try as she might, Olivia couldn't figure out exactly how to phrase her question. She realized that there was no easy way, and she could no longer beat around the bush. She took a deep breath and started over.

"I'm sorry," Olivia began. "But this isn't easy for me. I was drugged and raped repeatedly in the first weeks of my pregnancy. It is possible that my rapist is the father of my unborn baby. But my partner, Elliot, could also be the father." She pointed to Elliot standing beside her. "And that's one reason we're here today. To extract DNA for analysis. But what I want to know is...um, well, given the fact that I had multiple drugs injected into my body, is there a chance my baby will born healthy? Or will he or she be born with problems?"

"First of all," Dr. Waiss spoke gently. "I want you to know how sorry I am that you had to endure such a terrible ordeal. I can't even begin to imagine what you must be feeling right now. But what I can tell you is to never give up hope. I've seen women who were heavy drug users quit cold turkey once they realize they were pregnant and give birth to clean, healthy babies. Yes, it's possible your baby may be born with problems. But as long as you take care of yourself and the baby from now on, there's a good chance he or she will be born healthy. Just be strong and stay positive."

"Thank you," Olivia breathed a sigh of relief as she began to feel a little better inside.

You're welcome," Dr Waiss turned on the ultrasound machine. "Are you ready to begin? Or would you like to take a moment."

"I'm ready," Olivia told her.

She laid back on the exam table and pulled up her mocha-colored blouse just enough to expose her stomach. She was barely showing. Her belly bulged only sightly outward, too small to be noticed.

"Everything looks normal on the outside," said Dr. Waiss, examining Olivia's abdomen. "How are you feeling? Any pain or discomfort?"

"I feel fine," Olivia replied. "Nothing out of the ordinary."

"That's good," said the doctor. "Now let's take a look inside. Shall we?"

Dr. Waiss went over to a set of drawers in the corner of the room. Above the drawers were a set of cabinets. She opened the cabinets and removed a bottle of ultrasound gel. The doctor then sat down next to the exam and began applying the clear gel to Olivia's abdomen. She picked up an ultrasound transducer and placed it on Olivia's abdomen over the area covered in gel.

"This is your uterus," Dr. Waiss pointed to the monitor of the ultrasound machine with one hand, while holding the transducer on Olivia's abdomen with the other hand. "And that right there is your baby. This is the head and this is the body. The baby is a good size. Everything looks normal."

"That's good to hear," Olivia sighed, softly, her eyes on the monitor. "Oh, wow."

She watched as her baby wiggled around on the screen, captivated by the life that was growing and moving inside of her body. A life she helped create and would soon bring into the world.

"Would you like to hear the heartbeat?" Dr. Waiss asked, examining the fetus on the monitor.

"Can you hear it this early in the pregnancy?" inquired Olivia.

"Absolutely," answered Dr. Waiss. "You can hear the heartbeat as early as six weeks. And you, my dear, are eleven weeks along. So what do you say?"

"I say okay then," Olivia replied. "I want to hear my baby's heartbeat."

Dr. Waiss reached and turned on a switch on the ultrasound machine. The room was immediately filled with a faint, yet rapid _bump-bump, bump-bump._ As the doctor moved around the transducer, the sound became louder. _BUMP-BUMP! BUMP-BUMP! BUMP-BUMP! BUMP-BUMP!_

"It's a strong and healthy heartbeat," Dr. Waiss grinned. "That's a good sign!"

"It's so fast!" Olivia eyes filled up with tears, her gaze still fixated on the monitor of the ultrasound machine.

Elliot spoke to her, but she was too awestruck and mesmerized by the ultrasound and the heartbeat to hear what he was saying. Olivia realized then that the baby was just as innocent she was. This baby didn't ask to be conceived, no more than Olivia did when her mother was raped all those years ago. Whether it was for this reason or simply the natural bonds of motherhood, Olivia felt a strong, deep connection to her baby. Suddenly, she wanted nothing more than to provide her baby with a happy life, even if it meant giving him or her up.

**Location: Olivia's Apartment.**

"What are you thinking about?" Elliot asked Olivia.

They were sitting on the couch watching a movie, but Olivia's gaze was anywhere except on the TV. Elliot knew something was on her mind. She had been quiet during the car ride back home.

"A lot of things," she said as she touched her belly. "About the baby mostly."

"Do you want to talk about it?" he gently persuaded her.

Olivia took a deep breath. "Seeing the baby on the ultrasound made me do a bit of rethinking. I've decided I want to have this baby, regardless of who the father is."

"If that's what you want," Elliot took her hand in his. "Then I fully support your decision."

"I want this baby to have a happy life," she continued. "Even if it's not with me. He or she didn't ask to be conceived into this mess. And if Granger is the father, I don't want the baby to have to pay for his mistakes. And if I can't handle being his or her mother, then at least I can send him or her to a good home."

Olivia paused for a moment to gather her thoughts. She looked over at Elliot, who was listening intently to her. He now had his arm around her as she lay back with her head on his shoulder. She took another deep breath.

"And if the baby is yours," Olivia continued. "Then I want to keep it. You know how much I've wanted a baby for so long. And this may be my only chance to make it happen."

This time Elliot paused for a moment to take in what Olivia had said.

"Well, if the baby is mine," he finally began. "And if you want to have the baby, then I too want to have the baby."

"Really?" Olivia looked into his sapphire blue eyes.

"Really," Elliot smiled at her, gazing into her deep brown eyes.

Olivia wrapped her arms around Elliot in a warm embrace.

"Everything will be okay," he assured her.

"I really hope you're right," she told him. "I just can't stop worrying about the baby. What if he or she is born with issues? I don't if I can handle it. I bet you think I'm crazy, don't you?"

"Honestly?" he smiled at her. "I'd be worried if you weren't acting this way. It's perfectly normal for expectant mothers to feel this way. I remember when Kathy was pregnant with Maureen. She started reading every baby book she could get her hands on. Every time she read something that made her nervous, she'd call the doctor and me. And I'm telling you, some of the things she read made her pretty damn hysterical!"

Olivia laughed. "Thanks. I needed that."

Elliot stared at her as she laughed. His smile grew bigger.

"What?" Olivia asked him.

"Nothing," Elliot grinned. "It's just been a while since I've seen you smile, let alone laugh. It's good to see you happy again."

"I'm not happy yet," she smiled at him. "But I'm getting there. Thanks to you."

"Everything is going to be just fine," he reminded her. "Remember what the doctor said. Everything looked normal and healthy, and the baby has a strong heartbeat. The test results will be back in a few days. And I'm sure they will be normal. Be strong and stay positive."

"I'm sure you're right," she reassured herself. "I just need to relax."

"Well, this movie is just about over," Elliot told her. "Will another one help you relax?"

"It might," Olivia replied. "You never know."

So Elliot put in another movie and plopped back down on the couch. Olivia sat next to him, her head on his shoulder and his arms wrapped around her waist. She began to relax as they watched the movie. And eventually, she drifted off to sleep in his arms.

**Stay Tuned! More to come Soon! Please feel free to read and review! Also, if you haven't done so already, check out my two newest stories, _Salvation _and_ Coup de Gras!_**


	21. Chapter 21

**Sorry, I took so long to update. First my laptop crashed, so I had to figure out how to update using my Droid phone. Eventually, I found a way, but writing on my phone takes longer than with my laptop. Then my phone started acting up. And it took me several weeks to get it fixed. But anyway, here's the latest chapter. Enjoy! :)**

**Location: SVU Squad Room.**

Olivia stepped out the elevator and into the hall that led to squad room. She paused for a moment and looked around. This time, no one was staring at her. Everyone was busy working on their assigned tasks. Nothing more than the usual hustle and bustle that was the Special Victims Unit. She took a deep breath and moved forward.  
_It's going to be okay_, Olivia assured herself. _I can do this._  
In the squad room, she found Elliot, Fin, and Munch in the media center. It appeared as if they were working on a case. Olivia knew better than to discuss case details out in the open. So instead, she proceeded to make her way to Cragen's office unnoticed. She was almost there when Elliot turned around spotted her.  
"Liv?" Elliot asked, surprised to see her there. He walked over to her. "What are you doing here? You should be at home resting. Is everything okay?"  
At this, Munch and Fin also turned around and walked over to her.  
"Hey, Liv," Fin greeted her sympathetically. "What's going on?"  
"Hi, Olivia," Munch smiled at her. "How are you?"  
"Hey guys," Olivia forced a smile. "I'm fine. Really. I just came in to talk to Cragen about coming back to work."  
"You sure you're ready?" asked Fin, concerned.  
"You know you don't have to rush this," Munch questioned. "No one will be angry if you take a little more time for yourself."  
"Well, I'm not coming back tomorrow," she said, a little anxiety in her voice. "Maybe in a week or so, when I'm cleared. I'm just sick and tired of staring at my apartment all day long."  
"If that's what you want, we've got your back," Munch assured her.  
"Thanks," Olivia told him.  
"Liv, can I speak to you for a minute?" Elliot insisted, beckoning her away from Fin and Munch. "Alone?"  
"It's cool," Fin understood. "We have work to do anyway."  
He grabbed Munch by the collar and dragged him back to the media center. Meanwhile, Elliot turned to Olivia.  
"Are you sure you're ready to do this?" Elliot asked, concerned. "I mean, is coming back to work the right thing for you and the baby?"  
"Elliot Stabler," Olivia began. "If you think I'll be chasing perps with a baby in my belly, you can think again. I'm requesting to be put on desk duty. I'll still be working cases with you, but from this end instead."  
"Well," Elliot put an arm around her. "I was thinking about that and about you working cases. Won't it...um..."  
"Cause flashbacks?" Olivia finished his question. "Make me relive my attacks? It's possible. But this is my job. I'm going to have to learn to live with it. Plus, I've got you here to help me through it."  
She wrapped her arms around him in a warm, gentle embrace.  
"That's right," Elliot kissed her lips softly. "And don't you ever forget that"  
Olivia opened her mouth to speak, but she was interrupted when Melinda entered the squad room and headed their way.  
"Just the two people I was looking for," Melinda waved a folder in her hands. "I have the results of your paternity test and the chorionic villus sampling."  
Olivia drew in a deep breath and squeezed Elliot's hand tightly. She began to feel anxious and dizzy. Elliot turned to her and watched as the color faded from her face and she became shaky.  
"Liv, are you okay?" he grew worried. "If you can't handle this, Melinda can tell me and then I'll tell you later at home."  
"No, I'm fine," she assured him, not very convincingly. " Really, I am. But I need to know." She turned to Melinda. "Go ahead Melinda. Please."  
"There's no need to worry," Melinda put a hand on Olivia's shoulder. "The CVS test showed no abnormalities. Your baby is healthy."  
"Oh, thank God!" Olivia sighed.  
"That's great news, doc!" Elliot smiled. "Thanks!"  
"And the paternity test?" Olivia gulped hard as she squeezed Elliot's hand even tighter.  
"I ran the DNA three times, just to be certain," Melinda confirmed. "But Granger is not the father. Elliot is."  
Olivia was speechless. Tears of joy and relief streamed down her face. It felt like an immense weight was lifted off her shoulders. She exhaled deeply as if she'd been holding her breath for hours.  
"Are you okay, Olivia?" Melinda asked her.  
"I'm fine," Olivia nodded. She turned to Elliot and smiled. "We're going to have a baby!"  
"Yes, we are," Elliot kissed her, tenderly.  
"Congratulations!" Melinda smiled.  
She turned to leave them to their moment, but Olivia stopped her.  
"Hey, Melinda," Olivia said. "Thanks."  
"You're welcome," Melinda said as she went on her way.  
Olivia pulled Elliot closer to her and kissed him back.  
"I wish I could spend all day kissing you," she said, gazing into his baby blue eyes. "But I really have to talk to Cragen."  
"And I have to get back to work," Elliot kissed her one final time. "But we'll celebrate when I get home tonight. I promise."  
"I'll hold you to it," Olivia teased him.

**Location: Olivia's Apartment.**

"Hurry up!" Olivia said, impatiently. "I've got to use the bathroom."  
"I'm going as fast as I can," Elliot said, calmly as he fit the key into the lock. "Hang in there."  
"I'm trying," she told him. "But it's not easy when there's a baby pushing on my bladder."  
"It's open," he laughed as he pushed the door open. "Happy now?"  
"Yes," Olivia ran past him and into the bathroom. "Thank you!"  
He and Olivia had just come back from having dinner at one of the fanciest restaurants in the city.  
"You're welcome!" Elliot called back to her. "So what did Cragen say about you returning to work?"  
"Pretty much the same thing you did," Olivia yelled back. "He asked if I was okay and if I was sure I wanted to come back. I told him I was. And he said I come back when Psych Services clear me. I have an appointment next week for an evaluation."  
"If that's what you want," he called back. "Then I fully support your decision."  
"Thanks, El," she yelled. "You have no idea how much I appreciate that."  
"Ohhhh," Elliot groaned as he plopped down on the couch. "Man, I am stuffed."  
"Aw, now that's too bad," Olivia teased. "I was hoping you would still have room for dessert."  
"What did you have in my mind?" Elliot asked.  
He was too busy loosening and removing his tie to notice what she had really meant. He looked up when he heard the bathroom door open. Olivia stepped out wearing nothing but her bra and panties. She said nothing, but pointed at him with her index finger, gesturing him to follow her. Elliot now understood the true meaning of "dessert." He followed her into the bedroom, where she kissed him as she began unbuttoning his shirt.  
"Should we really be doing this?" Elliot paused a moment.  
"Yes," Olivia assured him. "This is the happiest I've felt in a long time. I want this. I can't let what Granger did to me control my life."  
"Are sure you're ready?" he asked. "I mean, I don't want to hurt you in any way."  
"I'm ready," she stared deeply into his sapphire eyes. "And I trust you with my life. I know you'd never hurt me. It's okay."  
Elliot gazed into her deep brown eyes and knew she was right. He leaned in and kissed her passionately as they finished undressing each other. He wrapped his strong, muscular arms around her body as he kissed her neck. His hot kisses and warm body against her own made her melt in his arms. She pulled him onto the bed and positioned herself beneath him.  
"Ohhhh, Elliot," Olivia moaned softly, her voice full of longing. "Take me. Take me now!"  
She parted her legs as his erect manhood entered her body, thrusting slowly and gently. She quivered and moaned, feeling the pleasure within her. Elliot paused a moment as he pulled out of her. He thought he unintentionally hurt her. But then he saw the want and longing in her eyes and knew everything was fine.  
"Don't stop," she begged and moaned. "I want you inside me!"  
He reentered her, quickening his pace as his thrusts became more powerful. Olivia released a moan as the pleasure began to grow and build inside her body. Elliot wanted to make this one of the best sexual experiences she's ever had. He wanted her to remember sexual satisfaction as something wonderful and meaningful. Not as something manipulative and forceful.  
Elliot lifted her up off the bed and into his lap. Olivia wrapped her legs around his waist as he continued thrusting deeper, massaging her insides. He began kissing her neck, then slowly moving to her breasts. Olivia's hair around his face drove him crazy, making him grunt and moan as he thrust faster and harder. Meanwhile, Olivia was moaning loudly, moving up and down in Elliot's lap, running her fingers through his hair.  
He knew she was almost there and couldn't hold it in much longer. And frankly neither could he. He quickened and strengthened to feverish pace. Olivia let out a loud and long moan, her entire body trembling fiercely as she felt the pleasure slowly consume her. She threw her head back and screamed as orgasm after orgasm crashed over her body like waves in the ocean. Elliot clung to her shaking body, moaning and panting as he too reached his climax.  
Catching his breath, Elliot gently placed Olivia back down onto the bed and rolled over beside her. She then rolled over and rested her head on his chest, listening to his rapid, steady heartbeat. He placed an arm around her and kissed her on the top of her head. She looked up at him and smiled. He smiled back at her as he gently stroked her hair.

Suddenly, Olivia had another flashback.

_She found herself back in the hospital room in Canada. She felt drowsy and disoriented, but still somewhat lucid. She fluttered her eyes to focus and looked around at her surroundings. Elliot was sitting in a chair next to her. His hand was on her cheek, his thumb gently stroking her face.  
"I knew you'd save me," Olivia spoke, her voice raspy and weak, and tears in her eyes.  
"I'd go to the ends of the earth for you," he planted a tender kiss on her forehead. "I love you."  
"I love you too," she told him as she gently squeezed his hand.  
They gazed deeply into each others eyes for a moment that seemed to last forever.  
"How are you feeling?" Elliot asked her.  
"I've seen better days," Olivia answered.  
"Don't you worry," he assured her. "We'll get through this. I'll make it all better."  
"I know you will," she smiled at him, still gazing into his eyes._

Then just like that, the flashback ended. Olivia was back in her apartment, laying in bed wrapped in Elliot's warm, strong embrace. He was still stroking her hair. She lifted her head to look at him.  
"What is it?" Elliot inquired.  
"I just had another flashback," Olivia told him.  
"Are you alright?" he grew concerned. "Do you want to talk about it?"  
"I'm fine," she smiled. "It was a good flashback."  
"A good flashback?" Elliot repeated.  
"Yea," Olivia put her hand in his and intertwined their fingers. "I was laying in a hospital bed, in the hospital in Canada and-"  
"That's supposed to be a good flashback?" Elliot interrupted her, confused.  
"Will you just listen?" Olivia let go of his hand.  
She couldn't help but laugh at him. Elliot could be so pigheaded sometimes. But she still couldn't help nut love him.  
"I'm sorry," he apologized, chuckling. "Continue. I want to hear this."  
"Anyway," she continued. "I was laying in a hospital bed. And I was disoriented, but still somewhat lucid. And I looked up and you were there smiling at me. And you told me you loved me. Did you mean it?"  
"Absolutely," Elliot gazed into her cocoa-colored eyes as he held her hand in his, intertwining their fingers once again. "I've never been more sure of anything else in my life. And if I'm not mistaken, you told me you loved me back. Did you mean it?"  
"With every beat of my heart," Olivia kissed him passionately.  
"And I do intend on keeping my promise," he kissed her back. "I will make your days better."  
"You already have," she smiled at him, a single teardrop rolled down her cheek. "Just having you here with me makes my days better."  
Olivia rolled over on her side as Elliot laid down next to her and put his arm around her.  
"And soon they'll be even better," he whispered in her ear as he wrapped his hands around her belly.  
She smiled and kissed him once more. Then she placed her hands around his as they drifted off to sleep holding their unborn baby.

**Stay tuned! More to come soon! Please feel free to read and review!**


	22. Chapter 22

**Location: Olivia's Apartment.**

"Liv!" Elliot called out as he entered the apartment and locked the door behind him. "I'm home!"

"I'm in here!" Olivia yelled from the living room.

She was sitting on the couch with her feet up. Elliot sat down beside her and began rubbing her feet.

"Ohhhh, that feels nice," Olivia closed her eyes and leaned back. "Thank you. I meant to call you when I got home, but I was just so tired. And my feet are killing me."

"Not a problem," Elliot said. "So..., how did your psych evaluation go? What did they say?"

Olivia opened her eyes and turned her head to face Elliot.

She took a deep breath. "It went well, I guess. We talked about everything. About what happened in the hotel room and in Canada. We even talked about the baby." Olivia gently cradled her growing belly in her arms. "The doctor diagnosed me with PTSD, but as long as I keep going to counseling I should be okay."  
Elliot released her feet and put an arm around her.

"And you will be," he assured her in a sympathetic tone. "You have nothing to worry about. So are you cleared to go back to work?"

"Yea," she nodded. "I go back to work next week. I just have to clear it with Cragen first."

"That's good to hear," he smiled at her. "If you ever feel like you can't handle it, make sure you come to me and I'll talk you through it. Or take you home. Whatever you need me to do, I'll do it."

"Thanks, El," Olivia placed her head on his shoulder. "That means a lot to me."

"You're welcome," he kissed the top of her head.

Elliot could tell by her distant stare that Olivia had a lot weighing on her mind. He decided to steer the conversation toward a lighter subject. Even so, he knew the conversation would eventually become heavier before the night ended.

"I'm hungry," Elliot spoke. "How about you? Have you had dinner?"

"I'm starving!" Olivia answered. "I was waiting for you to get home so we could eat together."

"You could've eaten without me," Elliot told her. "After all, you are eating for two."

"I did have a snack," Olivia admitted. "I had gummi bears and waffles."

"You call that a snack?" he chuckled.

"Get off my back!" she snapped. "I'm pregnant, remember?"

"Sorry," he quickly apologized. "I should have-"

"No, I'm sorry," she interrupted him, tears stinging her eyes. "It's the hormones. They're making me crazy."

Elliot reached out his hand to the tissue box on the coffee table. He pulled out a tissue and handed it to Olivia.

"It's okay," Elliot consoled her. "How about I make us some dinner? I can make some spaghetti."

"Can I have waffles and gummi bears with it?" Olivia wiped away her tears with the tissue.

"Whatever you want," Elliot smiled as he stood up from the couch.  
Olivia pulled him back down and kissed him tenderly on the lips.

"You're the best," Olivia smiled back at him. "You know that, don't you?"

Somehow, Elliot didn't feel like the best. Olivia watched as he stood back up and walked into the kitchen with a look of worry in his eyes.

"What's wrong?" she inquired.

"Nothing," he shrugged.

His gaze fell upon a newspaper sitting on the kitchen counter. It was laying open to the classified ads. He noticed several ads circled under the Apartments For Rent section.

"What's this?" he questioned, holding up the newspaper for Olivia to see.

"Well," Olivia began. "With the baby coming, I'm going to need a bigger apartment. And, um, I'd love for you to move in with us and be a part of the baby's life. But if you're not ready, I won't force you. But know that the offer is always on the table."

Elliot put down the newspaper and sat back down on the couch beside her.

"Liv," he held her hands in his. "I told you before if the baby is mine, which it is, then I would do right by you and the baby. And I am a man of my word. I love you and the baby. Nothing would make me happier than having the two of you in my life. But do you think an apartment will be big enough? A kid needs a lot of room to grow. I think a house would be better."

"Really?" she smiled as she squeezed his hands. "I would love to have a house. Especially one with a big backyard. That's always been my dream. To raise a family in beautiful house in the suburbs. Not in a cramped apartment in the city. But can we actually afford it?"

"I'm sure we can figure something out," he said as a plan formulated in his mind.

"Oh, El!" she cried, giving him a big hug. "Thank you! This means the world to me!"

"You're welcome," he smiled.

"So," Olivia said, excitedly. "I was looking at a house just outside the city. It has three bedrooms, two bathrooms, a nice size backyard,..."

Her voice trailed off. She could see it in Elliot's eyes that something was troubling him.

"What is it?" she demanded to know. "And don't tell me it's nothing. I know it's something."

He knew she would eventually find out, so Elliot decided he would rather have Olivia hear it from him than anyone at the station house. They would tell her as gently as he could.

"There's no easy way to tell you this," Elliot cleared his throat. "So here it goes. The Grand Jury indicted Carl Grady for rape and murder, attempted rape and murder, and fraud. But Casey needs you testify in open court."

The color immediately drained from Olivia's face. She began to feel shaky and faint.

"Oh, no," Olivia shuddered. "Absolutely not! I can't! Isn't there another way? What about all the evidence you have against him?"

Elliot shook his head. "Believe me. I wish there was another way. I tried to talk Casey out of it, but she says the body farms, here and in Canada, may not be enough. And the prison visitor's logs are circumstantial. The DNA on the bodies is far too degraded to obtain a sample. If Melinda can somehow extract even a partial sample, Grady's lawyer can argue that Granger committed the crime, not his client. So, technically, the fraud charge is the only one that might stick. But if you testify about what Granger said and did to you, it will go a long way in convicting Grady."

Olivia knew Elliot was right. Granger had told her things while he held her captive in Canada. Things that made Olivia believe she would never make it out of there alive. But could she really handle testifying against his cousin, Grady? What if she had a flashback and melted down in open court? Olivia wasn't sure she was strong enough.

"I'm not sure I can do this," Olivia whimpered, tears rolling down her cheeks. "I don't think I can face him."

"Yes, you can," Elliot held her shivering body in his arms. "Liv, you are strong. Think of all the perps you helped put away by testifying. Remember what you tell victims. In the courtroom, your attacker has no power. He can't touch you. You're the one in control. And who knows? You may even get closure from this."

She couldn't let herself become one of the victims who refused to testify and later regret it. Olivia felt if she didn't testify, she would destroy everything that the Unit and the court stood for. And she refused to let that happen. Olivia had to do this, for all the victims who testified in the past and for all those who would later testify in the future.

"You're right," she wiped the tears from her eyes. "I have to try."

"That's all I ask," he spoke gently.

"Will you come with me?" she pleaded.

"Of course," he nodded. "But now, it's dinner time. And you need to eat. You're going to need your strength."

"Alright," she agreed. "And thank you, El."

"You're welcome," he kissed her forehead.

**Location: New York City Courthouse.**

Olivia sat outside the court room on a rather uncomfortable bench, anxiously awaiting to be called to testify. She cradled her belly in her arms as she stared down at the floor. Elliot sat next to her, trying to keep her calm.

"Who am I kidding?" Olivia's voice was shaky. "I can't do this!"

"Yes, you can," Elliot reassured her as he held he hand. "Just remember what we talked about."

"I know," Olivia looked up at his soft, comforting blue eyes. "But I'm still scared."

"You have no reason to be scared," Elliot's voice was soothing and gentle.

"I'll be in there with you. Just keep your eyes on me."

The court room door opened to the right of where their seat stood. They both looked up to see a female bailiff step out.

"Detective Benson?" she looked at Olivia.

"That's me," Olivia tried to sound confident, but it came out sort of muffled instead.

"Are you ready?" asked the bailiff.

Olivia looked Elliot, who gave her an encouraging smile. She then looked back at the bailiff and gave her a nervous nod as she. Elliot helped Olivia stand up as they followed the bailiff into the court room. He released Olivia's hand and took a seat in front so with a perfect view of the witness stand. The bailiff escorted Olivia to the witness stand, where she sat down, waiting to be sworn in.

"Please state your name for the record," the bailiff said.

"Detective Olivia Benson," Olivia stated.

"Please stand and raise your right hand," the bailiff instructed.

Olivia stood up as she nervously raised her right hand, which was trembling. She tried to remind herself it would be just like any other day in court. But somehow it didn't help.

"Olivia Benson," the bailiff began the oath. "Do you solemnly swear to tell the truth, the whole truth, and nothing but the truth? So help you God."

"I do so solemnly swear," Olivia nodded.

The bailiff appeared satisfied and took her seat, as did Olivia. ADA Casey Novak stood up from the prosecutor's table and gently approached Olivia. Behind Casey, Elliot sat in the front row with his eyes on Olivia.

At the defense table sat Lowell Harris, A.K.A Carl Grady. And next to him, was his attorney, who Olivia recognized as John Buchanan. He once defended, Billy Skags, a Christian zealot who persecuted prostitutes. And another time, Buchanan defended Anton Petrov, a Bulgarian mobster who smuggled young pregnant women into the United States and later killed them for their babies, which he then illegally put up for adoption.

Olivia knew Buchanan would probably torture her on the stand. But with Judge Elizabeth Donnelly presiding over the case, Olivia hoped she would keep Buchanan from getting out of control.

"Olivia," Casey began. "I understand this must be difficult for you, but can you please tell us what happened?"

Olivia proceeded to tell them about Granger raping her in the hotel room, then beating her into a coma.

"Do you know why he raped you?" asked Casey.

Olivia slowly nodded as tears filled her eyes. "He told me it was payback for putting his cousin in prison."

"When did he tell you this?" Casey inquired.

"When he was raping me," Olivia whimpered. "He said that no one messes with his family and gets away with it. And then he said his cousin sent a message for me. He said 'You kept him waiting. Now you have to pay.'"

Casey nodded apprehensively. "What did he mean when he said you kept him waiting?"

Olivia had hoped Sealview wouldn't come up during her testimony. But alas, it did. She had no choice but tell the court what happened.

She drew in a nervous breath. "About three years ago, I went undercover at a prison where Granger's cousin was working as a corrections officer at the time. Only I didn't know they were related."

Olivia continued to testify about what happened in the basement. Casey and the jury listened carefully.

"And who exactly was this corrections officer?" Casey questioned. "And cousin of Dennis Granger?"

Olivia pointed a shaky finger at the defense table. "It was the defendant. Lowell Harris. Or Carl Grady. Or whatever he's calling himself now."

"So," Casey stated. "Dennis Granger raped and attacked you in a hotel room as payback for throwing his cousin in jail after _he_attacked you and tried to rape you first.

"Yes," Olivia nodded.

"But it didn't end there," Casey spoke clearly. "Did it?"

"No," Olivia continued. "About a month later, Granger abducted me. He took me to an abandoned mental hospital in Canada where he held me captive for several days."

"And what did he do to you there?" Casey asked.

Olivia looked over at Elliot, who gave her an encouraging stare. She took a deep breath, trying to control her tears. She told the court how Granger had tied her to a bed and drugged and raped her repeatedly. She told them about how he hooked her up to an electroconvulsive therapy box and electrocuted her, giving her retrograde amnesia. As she ended her story, her tears overflowed, streaming down her cheeks.

"I know this is hard for you," Casey said. "But did he say anything to you during your captivity?"

Olivia nodded, sobbing. "He...uh...told me that I was one of the best he's ever had. And...he told me how I wasn't his first...that he and Grady tortured,...raped,...and...murdered dozens of women over the years. He said I was his latest victim...and that he needed to finish what he started in the hotel room. I knew he meant to kill me too."

Casey saw that Olivia was distraught enough. Plus she, was satisfied with her questioning.

"No further questions," Casey declared before the judge.

Judge Donnelly looked at Buchanan. "Does the defense have any questions for this witness?"

"I do, Your Honor," Buchanan stood up and approached Olivia.

"Very well, then," Judge Donnelly stated. "Proceed."

A sense of dread and anxiety swept over Olivia. She could tell by the look in his eyes, Buchanan meant to crucify her on the witness stand. She held her growing belly in her arms, gently rubbing it.

"First of all," Buchanan began. "I'd like to congratulate you on your upcoming addition to your family. May I ask who the father is?"

"Objection!" Casey stood up. "Relevance?"

"I'm getting to it," Buchanan looked at Judge Donnelly. "I promise."

"Sustained," Judge Donnelly pounded the gavel. Then she looked back at Buchanan. "You better not be playing games."

"Who is the baby's father?" Buchanan repeated.

"Elliot Stabler," Olivia answered.

"But you stated that Granger raped you," Buchanan reminded her. "How can Elliot be the father? Could it be that he's the one who raped you?"

"No," Olivia replied. "Elliot and I had consensual sex about a week before the attacks."

Olivia realized he was trying to give the jury reasonable doubt by placing the blame on Elliot. Too bad for Buchanan. It didn't work. The jury was not swayed. She wondered what other tricks he had up his sleeves.

Buchanan pressed on. "Well, then how can we be sure that the sex between you and Granger wasn't consensual?"

"Because he beat me into a coma afterward," Olivia glared at him. Now he was trying to make the jury think she's a whore. "I don't know what you've been told, but that usually doesn't happen after consensual sex."

"Moving on," Buchanan said, thinking quickly. "You told the court that my client and his cousin sought revenge for arresting him. You may have been the arresting officer, but wasn't your partner, Detective Stabler with you that day? Why would my client seek revenge on you and not your partner?"

"He did," Olivia answered. "He killed Elliot's wife and five children by blowing up his house."

She glanced over at Elliot, feeling guilty for bringing up such a reminder. But he remained strong, focused on getting Olivia through her testimony.

"But," Buchanan added. "Only Granger's DNA was present at the crime scene. As with the crimes scene of both your attacks. Not too mention, my client has been incarcerated this whole time."

"My colleagues have proof of his guilt," Olivia stated. "He conspired with Granger."

Buchanan went on trying to turn everything around on Olivia. Or placing the blame on anyone else but his client. But Olivia continued disproving every single one of his theories. When he couldn't get any farther, Buchanan finally gave up.

"The defense has no more questions for this witness," he told Judge Donnelly.

"Very well then," Judge Donnelly pounded her gavel again as she looked at Olivia. "This witness is dismissed. The court thanks you for your time."

"Thank you, Your Honor," Olivia stood up and exited the court room with Elliot following behind her.

Out in the lobby, Olivia sat down on a bench once again. She closed her eyes and sighed in relief. She had survived the testimony.

"You were great in there!" Elliot smiled as he sat down next to her and gave her a gentle hug.

"Thanks," Olivia hugged him back. "I just so glad it's over."

"So am I," Elliot commented. "Now let's get you home. You need to rest."

"You don't have to tell me twice," Olivia smiled at him.

**Stay tuned! More to come soon! Please feel free to read and review!**


	23. Chapter 23

**Location: SVU Squad Room.**

"Liv?" called Elliot upon entering the squad room. "Are you ready?"

He had just come back from doing some field work, investigating a crime scene, then a death notification. Not his favorite parts of his job. Elliot looked around the squad room. Fin and Munch were hard at work, looking for leads in their latest case. But Olivia was nowhere to be found.

"Where's Liv?" asked Elliot.

"She's up in the crib laying down," Fin answered.

"Is she alright?" Elliot grew concerned.

"Yea," Fin assured him. "Everything's cool. She was just tired and needed to get off her feet for awhile. Why?"

"Nothing serious," Elliot told him. "She has a doctor appointment in an hour. I was just making sure she's ready."

With that, Elliot left Fin and Munch to their work and made his way upstairs to the crib. Inside, the room was lined with bunk beds against the walls. And in the bed to the right of the door, lay Olivia, cradling a rather large baby bump in her arms as she slumbered. Elliot smiled to himself as he watched her resting peacefully. He thought she never looked more beautiful than she did then and there.

Suddenly, Olivia stirred in her sleep. Her eyes fluttered open as she yawned. She smiled when she saw Elliot standing in the doorway.

"Hey you," she greeted him sleepily.

She rolled over and sat up, which took her a moment, due to her swelling belly.

"What time is it?" Olivia asked, yawning. "Did I over sleep?"

"You're fine," Elliot assured her as he sat down beside her.. "We still have about an hour. I didn't mean to wake you. Sorry."

"You didn't wake me," Olivia told him. "My bladder did. Help me up."

Elliot stood up and took her hand. Then he gently and slowly helped her stand up. Olivia thanked him and waddled off to the bathroom. A few minutes later, she came back out and sat back down beside Elliot.

"Ohhh!" she groaned. "My back is killing me."

"I can help with that," Elliot turned to face her. "Lay on your side and put your back towards me. I used to do this for Kathy when she was pregnant."

Olivia did as she was told and laid down. Elliot softly and gently began to massage her neck and shoulders. Then he slowly worked his way down her back, his strong, muscular hands massaging the pain and tension away.

"Mmmm..." Olivia moaned, as she closed her eyes. "That feels _so _good."

Once Elliot reached the lowest part of her back, he began to work his way back up, massaging every part of her back until he reached her neck and shoulders again.

"Is that better?" he asked as he finished and help Olivia sit up again.

"Much," she tenderly kissed his soft lips. "Thank you."

Elliot cupped her face in his hands and kissed her back ever so sweetly. But suddenly, Olivia quickly pulled away.

"Oooohh!" Olivia cried, out holding her belly.

"What happened?" Elliot began to worry. "Are okay? Is it the baby?"

"I'm fine,"Olivia grinned, her face beaming. "The baby just kicked."

"It did?" Elliot smiled, feeling relieved.

"Yea," she nodded, beaming. "Want to feel it?"

"Of, course!" he answered.

"Give me your hand," she told him.

He held out his hand as Olivia took it in hers.

"Right there," Olivia gently pressed his hand onto her belly. "Can you feel it."

At first, Elliot felt nothing. But a moment later, he felt a _bump_.

"Wow!" Elliot exclaimed. "What a strong baby!"

"Just like its daddy," Olivia gazed lovingly at Elliot.

"Just like its mother," Elliot returned her gaze.

For a moment neither of them spoke. Time seemed to stand still as they stared deeply and lovingly into each others eyes. After several minutes, Olivia spoke up.

"We better get going," she said softly. "We don't want to be late."

Elliot helped her stand up and escorted her out of the crib and downstairs into the squad room. Munch and Fin were still hard at work. This time Cragen was with them, going over evidence. The three of them looked up when Olivia and Elliot entered the room.

"El, I'll be right back," Olivia said. "I have to use the bathroom."

"But you just went," Elliot said.

"Well, I have to go again," Olivia yelled as she ran off to the bathroom.

Elliot walked over to Olivia's desk to grab her coat for her.

"You two leaving?" Cragen asked.

"Yes," Elliot answered. "I'm taking Liv to her doctor appointment. We're going to find out the baby's gender today. We'll come back here afterward."

"Good," Cragen nodded in approval. "I need you two to help with this case."

"You can count on us," Elliot reassured him.

"I know," Cragen said. "Oh, and let me know how the appointment goes."

"Will do, Captain," Elliot told him.

As Cragen walked back into his office, Olivia came out of the bathroom and reentered the squad room.

"Are you ready now?" asked Elliot, holding her coat open for her.

"Yes I am," Olivia replied, putting her arms in her coat sleeves.

"Good luck," Fin called out to them.

"May your first child be a masculine child," Munch quipped. "And if it is, name it after me."

"Why would she name her baby after an idiot?" Fin joked.

"See you guys later," Olivia laughed at them.

She and Elliot exited the precinct as Fin and Munch continued to bicker.

**Location: Mercy Hospital.**

"Are you okay?" Elliot asked.

Olivia was laying down on the exam room table, anxiously waiting for the doctor to come in. Elliot sat in a chair beside her holding her hand.

"Yea," Olivia nodded. "Just a little nervous, I guess."

"You have nothing to worry about," Elliot kissed her hand. "Everything will be just fine."

"I'm sure you're right," Olivia smiled, gently squeezing his hand.

At the moment, the door opened, and Dr. Waiss entered the room.

"Hello, Olivia," Dr. Waiss greeted with a warm smile. "Hello, Elliot. How are the three of you doing today. Olivia, I see your belly has grown quite a bit since your last visit."

"I'm good," Elliot replied. "How about yourself?"

"I'm fine," Dr. Waiss answered. "Thanks for asking."

"We're good too," Olivia patted her belly. "Just a little nervous. That's all."

"There's no reason to be nervous," Dr. Waiss said calmly.

"That's what I told her," Elliot smiled at Olivia.

"Good looking _and _smart," Dr. Waiss chuckled. "Olivia, you've got yourself a keeper. Don't let him go."

"I won't," Olivia grinned lovingly at Elliot.

"Alright," Dr. Waiss put on a pair of latex gloves. "Enough jokes. Shall we begin now?"

"Yes, please," Olivia responded.

"The results of your amniocentesis are back," Dr. Waiss announced. "Everything came back normal. Your baby is perfectly healthy."

"That's great!" Olivia exclaimed. "Thank you, doctor."

"You're welcome," Dr. Waiss said. "Now lift up your blouse please."

Olivia lifted her blouse up to just below her breasts, only exposing her bare abdomen. Dr. Waiss carefully and gently examined Olivia's abdomen.

"Everything looks good from the outside," Dr. Waiss observed. "You're a good size and look very healthy. How are you feeling? Everything alright?"

"I feel fine," Olivia told her. "The baby kicked for the first time today."

"That's great!" Dr. Waiss removed the stethoscope from around her neck. "I don't feel it kicking now, but I'm just going to listen for a moment."

Dr. Waiss put the ear pieces in her ears and placed the other piece on Olivia's abdomen. She quietly listened as she slowly moved the stethoscope around.

"Your baby has a strong heartbeat," said the doctor. "Are you ready to do the ultrasound now?"

"Yes," Olivia nodded.

Olivia leaned back as Dr. Waiss turned on the monitor in front of herself and Olivia, then grabbed the bottle of ultrasound jelly. She opened the bottle and poured the clear jelly onto Olivia's abdomen. Then Dr. Waiss reached for the transducer and placed it on Olivia's jelly-covered abdomen. She moved it around until they were able to see the baby's shape in the monitor.

"And there's your baby," Dr. Waiss pointed to the monitor with her free hand. "It's approximately twenty weeks old. Here's the head and this is the body. And these little things wiggling are its arms and legs. It looks like your baby is sucking its thumb."

"Aww!" Olivia smiled at Elliot. "Look at our baby!"

"It's beautiful," Elliot smiled back. "Just like its mother."

"Would you like to know the gender?" inquired Dr. Waiss.

Olivia looked over at Elliot. "Do you want to know?"

"I do if you do," Elliot replied.

Olivia nodded to Dr. Waiss. "Yes. We want to know."

Dr. Waiss examined the baby's image on the monitor for a moment before turning her attention back to Olivia and Elliot.

"Congratulations!" Dr. Waiss grinned. "It's a girl!"

Tears of joy streamed down Olivia's face as she became speechless. Next to her, Elliot kissed her cheek and spoke softly in her ear. But Olivia didn't hear him. She gazed in awe at her baby on the monitor, at her daughter growing inside of her.

**Location: Streets of New York City.**

As Elliot maneuvered the car through the congested city streets, Olivia sat in the front passenger seat, smiling and caressing her enlarged belly. She thought of her baby girl growing within her. It was no longer an "it," but a "her." It was their daughter. She and Elliot created a baby girl.

"So," Elliot glanced at her through the rear view mirror. "Do you have a name picked out for her?"

"Not yet," Olivia replied, glowing with motherly pride. "I'm still looking for the right one. It's got to be perfect, you know. Just like her."

Elliot smiled. "Yea, I know."

He remembered how Kathy searched through countless baby name books before deciding on names. Except for Eli and Dickie. Eli was named after himself, and Dickie, was named after Elliot's former mentor, Dick Finley. Of course, back then Elliot had no idea what a monster his mentor truly was.

"Are you okay?" Olivia noticed his distant stare.

"Yea," Elliot answered. "I was just thinking."

"About Kathy?" Olivia guessed. "And the kids?"

Elliot nodded. "I've been missing them even more lately. But that won't change anything between us. I still want this baby. Our daughter."

Hearing Elliot use the words "our daughter" made Olivia's heart flutter.

"So do I," Olivia said. "I'll admit. I was scared at first. I still am. I wasn't sure if I'd be capable of raising this baby after what happened." Her eyes welled up with tears. "Especially after I testified in court. I felt like I was too damaged to be a mother. I was having trouble dealing with my own demons. How could I take care of a child on top of all that?"

"Liv, we've talked about this," Elliot reminded her. "We'll work through this. Together."

"I know," Olivia told him. "But when she kicked for the first time and even more so when I watched her move inside of me on the ultrasound monitor, I realized I wanted her more than anything else in this world. Elliot, I love our baby girl so much. And I can't wait to meet her. And to hold her in my arms."

"I feel the exact same way," Elliot said, gently and sweetly.

For the first time during the drive, Olivia took her eyes of her belly and looked out the window. Something didn't seem right. It was taking longer than usual to get home. And Olivia finally realized why. They were driving in the opposite direction.

"Hey," Olivia pointed out. "This isn't the way home. Where are we going?"

Elliot laughed. "I guess there's no fooling you, is there?"

"I _am_ a cop, after all," Olivia teased. "Now answer my question before I shoot you."

"Shoot me?" Elliot joked. "How? Are hiding a gun in your baby bump?"

"No," Olivia answered, putting one hand on his holster. "But I can always take yours."

"Alright," Elliot finally gave in. "If you must know, I thought we could take a look at that house again. You know, the one just outside of the city you liked so much?"

Olivia sat up straight. "But I thought we agreed that it was out of our budget."

"Well," Elliot pressed on. "There's no harm in taking a second look."

They continued driving until they reached a neighborhood just outside of the city. Olivia watched out the window as they drove past children riding their bikes and more children playing ball. They made a right turn down a street and passed a playground. Olivia remembered that the house was only two blocks away from there. She had often told Elliot how she dreamed of being able to take their baby for walk a to the park on warm, sunny afternoons. They drove down two more blocks, then turned onto the street where the house was located.

As they approached the house, Elliot slowed down, pulled into the driveway, and turned off the ignition. Olivia's heart sank when she saw the "For Sale" sign in front of the house was covered by a big "SOLD" sticker. Elliot saw the sadness in her eyes, and put an arm around her.

"What's wrong?" he comforted her.

"It's sold," she sighed. "I guess I always knew it would get sold eventually. It's such a beautiful house. But I really wanted it."

"I know," Elliot grinned. "That's why I bought it for you."

"What?" Olivia couldn't believe her ears. "How?"

"Well," Elliot explained. "The insurance policy for my old house finally paid off. But instead of rebuilding it, I sold the property to the bank. So not only did I have enough money to make an offer on the house, which they graciously accepted. But I also have money left over to decorate this place however you want."

"Really?" Olivia looked him in the eyes as her face lit up.

"Yes," Elliot returned her gaze as he held up a key. "So do you want to take a look inside or not? If not, we could-"

Olivia interrupted him with a kiss and a warm embrace. "Oh, Elliot! Thank you! This means the world to me!"

Elliot kissed her back. "And you and our baby girl mean the world to me. I'd do anything for the two of you."

"So, when can we move in?" Olivia asked, excitedly.

"Whenever you want," Elliot handed her the key.

Together they exited the car and walked up the sidewalk and stepped onto the large wide porch. Olivia unlocked the door and entered the house with Elliot behind her. Inside, they stood in a big open room that connected to a hallway which led to the staircase.

"This will be our living room," Olivia said dreamily. "And over there is where we'll put the dining room set. And there's even a basement downstairs that we can turn into a den."

She and Elliot continued down the hallway. Behind the staircase was the entrance to the kitchen. In the center of the kitchen was a granite top island with stools that matched the rest of the cabinets and counters. Olivia's favorite part of the kitchen were the windows that overlooked the fenced in backyard.

"I can cook and watch our daughter play at the same time," she remarked. "Also, I would love to get a swing set, or maybe even a pool for the backyard."

Elliot nodded and smiled as Olivia continued to lead him around the house, describing everything she wanted to do. She led him upstairs and through the hallway.

"There's three bedrooms up here," Olivia continued. "I figure we can turn the third room into a guest room for now."

"For now?" Elliot repeated.

"Yea," Olivia nodded. "We may decide to have more children later. You never know."

"Anything you want," Elliot kissed her cheek.

"This room is going to be the baby's nursery," Olivia entered the last room at the end of the hall. "I can't wait to decorate-"

She stopped in mid sentence and became speechless. Across from where she and Elliot stood, was a plush playpen filled with baby items leaning against the wall. There were blankets, bottles, clothes, toys, bath necessities and a whole lot more. Propped up against one side of the playpen were two large boxes. One contained a car seat, and the other contained a dark cherry wood crib. On the other side of the playpen was a mountain of diapers and baby wipes, along with more baby items.

"Oh my...," Olivia could barely speak. She was so surprised.

"The guys and I...," Elliot began. "Well, we're guys, to put it plain and simple. We're not the baby shower type, but we still wanted to do something for you and the baby. So we decided this way would be best."

"I love it!" Olivia said, tears stinging her eyes. "Thank you, El!"

"You're welcome," Elliot said. "But it wasn't just me."

She wasn't sure whether it was hormones or pure happiness, but Olivia began to cry. Elliot put his arms around her and pulled her close. Olivia wiped the tears from her eyes and tenderly kissed Elliot's lips.

"Why are you so good to me?" Olivia gazed into his sapphire blue eyes.

"Because I love you," Elliot stared into her deep brown eyes and kissed her back.

"I love you too," Olivia intertwined her fingers in his. "Come on."

"Now where are we going?" Elliot asked following her back into the hallway.

"I want to show you our room," Olivia said with a grin and a certain gleam in her eye.

She led him into the room next door the nursery.

"You do realize there's no bed in here," Elliot noted. "At least, not yet anyway."

"There's a floor," Olivia told him, as she began to undress. "And there's blinds on the windows so no one can peek in. That's all we need right now."

"I promised Cragen we'd be back after your appointment," Elliot reminded her.

He felt himself becoming aroused. He wanted her just as much as she wanted him. But was there enough time?

"Appointments can sometimes take hours," Olivia began undressing Elliot as she kissed his neck. "I think we can make some time to christen our new home before we head back."

Olivia and Elliot quickly undressed each other and laid down on the floor. Olivia positioned herself on Elliot's lap as he showered her body with kisses. He kissed his way from her lips down to her neck. He moved lower still to her breasts. Whimpering moans escaped Olivia's lips as he kissed her breasts, licking and sucking each one. The pleasure began to build inside her.

"Oh, Liv!" Elliot lifted his face to hers, admiring her naked flesh. Even with her pregnant belly, she still looked like a goddess. "Baby, you're so beautiful!"

He pressed his lips to hers in a most passionate kiss. Her lips were as soft as rose petals and tasted as sweet as candy. It was so intoxicating that Elliot wanted more. He wanted all of her, right then and there. Olivia moaned as Elliot spread her legs apart and his rock hard manhood nudged at her moist opening. The pregnancy hormones only intensified the pleasure within her. She wanted to feel Elliot inside her already. All of him.

"Oh, El!" Olivia moaned. "Take me already! Baby, I want you inside me now!"

Elliot couldn't resist her any longer and plunged his penis all the way inside her and began thrusting deep and hard. Olivia closed her eyes and released a long, loud moan, taking all of Elliot inside her and meeting his every thrust.

"Open your eyes, baby," Elliot cupped her face in his hands. "I want to look into your eyes."

Olivia opened her eyes and pressed her head against Elliot's forehead as they gazed into each others eyes. She wrapped her hands around his strong muscular shoulders. Her long brown hair falling all around Elliot's face made him crazy. He let go of her face and wrapped her hands around her ass.

"Oh, baby! Yes!" Olivia felt herself becoming lost in a sea of ecstasy. "El! El!"

She tried to call out his name, but the intense pleasure left her tongue tied. She bucked her hips, rocking hard against his deep upward thrusts into her. Her nails dug deep into his shoulders. His hands squeezed her ass, pushing her harder into him as her body swallowed his manhood whole.

"Fuck!" Elliot groaned aloud. "Liv, you feel so good!"

He was getting close, and he could sense that she couldn't hold it in much longer. He quickened his pace, thrusting harder and deeper inside her. And Olivia continued moving with him, moaning and bouncing in his lap as she rode him hard. Seeing her flushed face and her breasts bouncing drove Elliot close to the edge. He brought his lips to hers and teased her tongue with his. Olivia took her cue from him and gently tugged at his lip with her own. This drove them both over the edge.

They quickened to a frenzied and feverish pace. Olivia began to tremble and moan loudly as she felt her climax approaching. She tossed her head back and screamed in ecstasy as her orgasm erupted within her body like a volcano. As she continued to convulse from her orgasm, Elliot felt his own climax approaching. His hands clung to her ass as he jerked and thrust upward again and again. He let out a loud low moan as his orgasm took over his body.

Olivia relaxed in his laps, their arms wrapped around each other as they caught their breath. They gazed lovingly into each others eyes, both of them shaking and glistening with sweat.

"I love you, Liv," Elliot tenderly kissed her soft, sweet lips.

"I love you to, El," Olivia kissed him back just as tenderly.

"And _we_ love you," Elliot lowered his head and kissed Olivia's pregnant belly.

**Stay tuned! More exciting chapters to come soon! Please feel free to read and review!**


	24. Chapter 24

**I apologize for the extremely long wait. I've had so much going on. But anyway, here's the latest chapter! Enjoy! Please feel free to read and review!**

**Location: SVU Squad Room.**

"Hey guys!" Casey called as she entered the squad room.

She saw Elliot, Munch, and Fin at their desks hard at work. But there was no sign of Olivia or Cragen.

"Hey yourself," Elliot called back.

"Where's Cragen?" Casey inquired.

"In his office," Fin answered. "Chief of D's is in there with him."

"Uh-oh," Casey said. "What did you guys do now?"

"Your guess is as good ours," quipped Munch.

"What about Olivia?" Casey questioned. "Where is she?"

"Home," Elliot replied. "On bed rest. The stress of the Grady case was getting to her. She needs closure and she needs it soon. Please tell me the trial is over and the jury finally delivered the verdict."

"I know," Casey sympathized. "And I apologize. I had no idea this case would get so out of control. Or that it would last so long. I've tried cases that lasted as long as a few weeks. But two months is ridiculous! First, Buchanan kept trying to railroad me every chance he got. Then, Canada decided they wanted a piece of Grady too. So they tried to have him extradited."

"Please tell me Canada didn't get him," Fin said.

"Nope," Casey explained. "I convinced Canada to stop the extradition when I told them we were going for the maximum."

"And?" Elliot was growing impatient.

"And," Casey continued. "I'm here because the jury finally came back after deliberating nearly all day. Grady was found guilty on all counts. He's getting the death penalty."

"That's great news," called a voice from the other side of the room.

Standing outside the door to the Cragen's office was Chief of Detectives Muldrew. And next to him stood Cragen. Munch, Fin, and Elliot stood up from their desks and awaited the chief to speak. The three of them were anxious to find out why he was here. They were positive it was bad news.

"At ease guys," Cragen could sense the tension. "The chief is here to see you, Elliot."

"Are you going to tear me a new asshole?" said Elliot.

"On the contrary," Muldrew handed him two small white envelopes, one bearing Elliot's name and the other bearing Olivia's name. "I'm here to commend you."

"What are these?" Elliot carefully opened the envelope bearing his name.

"Invitations," Muldrew answered. "To the annual New York City Policeman's Ball next month. You and your partner, Detective Benson, are being honored this year. I have invitations for you two as well. Each one admits you and one guest."

Elliot remained speechless as Muldrew handed invitations to Munch and Fin.

"Thank you, Chief," Elliot finally spoke. "I'm flattered to be an honoree."

"You deserve it," said Muldrew. "You've shown amazing strength, courage, and dedication this year. You've suffered a tremendous loss for which you have my deepest sympathy. And Benson has been through a hellish ordeal. But you've both made a quite a remarkable recovery. You've exceeded my expectations. I hope you'll both be able to attend. Although I understand Benson is due to give birth soon."

Elliot nodded. "Eight more weeks to go. But we will do our best to attend the ball."

"Well, I have to go now," Mudrew looked around at everyone. "But I hope to see you all at the Policeman's Ball."

As Muldrew took his leave, Casey, Cragen, and the detectives began to chat among themselves.

"Captain, did you get an invite?" Munch asked.

"Yea, it's sitting on my desk," Cragen answered.

"So, we all going?" inquired Fin. "I know I am."

"I'm going," Cragen raised his hand.

"Me too," Munch chimed in. "No way am I passing up free food and liquor."

"I hear ya!" Fin agreed.

Cragen turned his attention to Casey.

"Hey, Casey," he called to her.

"Yea?" Casey responded.

"Seeing as we're allowed to bring a guest," Cragen began. "Would you like the honor of escorting an old man to the Policeman's Ball?"

"I'd love to!" Casey smiled. "Thanks!"

"Wow!" Fin quipped. "Captain's got himself a date before I did? Something ain't right here."

"Very funny," Cragen said, sarcastically.

"I'll probably end up going stag," Munch commented. "What about you, Elliot? Will you and Liv be going?"

"I don't know," Elliot shrugged. "It all depends if Liv gets off bed rest and if she's feeling up to it."

"Don't worry, man," Fin said. "I'm she she'll feel much better when she finds out Grady's getting the needle. I just hope she doesn't have the baby before then."

"Speaking of," Casey spoke up. "You still haven't told us yet. Is it a boy or a girl?"

"It's a girl," Elliot smiled proudly.

"Aw!" Casey exclaimed. "That's great! Have you two decided on a name?"

"Not yet," Elliot replied. "Liv's taking her time and choosing very carefully. She wants to find the perfect name."

"How about Johnna? Munch joked. "Or Johanna?"

Elliot rolled his eyes. "For the millionth time, Munch, we're not naming the baby after you."

"It was worth a shot," Munch chuckled, as he began to rummage through his desk. "But all kidding aside, we've got a pool going about the baby. You want in? You can place bets for the birth date, length, and weight."

He held up a marker and a chart he made containing names, bets, and guesses for Elliot and Olivia's baby's birth date, length, and weight.

"You are unbelievable," Elliot said, sarcastically.

"It's one of my more endearing qualities," Munch quipped. "So do you want in or not?"

"No, thanks," Elliot declined. "I have to get home to Liv."

"Suit yourself," Munch said. "Anyone else care to place a bet?"

"Hell, yea!" Casey nodded. "I definitely want in!"

"Count me in!" Fin pulled out his wallet.

"Me too!" Cragen chimed in.

**Location: Benson/Stabler Residence.**

"Hey you," Elliot found Olivia laying on the couch in the living room watching TV and cradling a very large baby bump. "You're supposed to be on bed rest, not couch rest."

"What difference does it make?" Olivia sat up. "I'm resting either way. Now come here and kiss me."

Olivia slid over so Elliot could join her on the couch. He sat down next to her and gently embraced her. He leaned forward and planted a soft, tender kiss on her lips.

"Mmmm," Olivia moaned softly. "That felt good. Kiss me again."

Elliot chuckled as he kissed her again.

"I missed you today," he told her. "The squad room isn't the same without you."

"I missed you too," Olivia intertwined her fingers in Elliot's, placing both of their hands on her baby bump as she laid in his arms. "How was work today?"

"It was good," Elliot replied.

"Did you make a break in the case?" Olivia asked.

"No," Elliot answered. "But both Casey and the Chief of D's stopped by."

"Really?" Olivia turned to face Elliot. "Why?"

Elliot told her about the invitations to the Policeman's Ball and that they were to be honored this year.

"Do you want to go?" Elliot inquired.

"I don't think so," Olivia shook her head. "I've been looking like a big fat elephant lately. My feet are swollen and I feel huge and bloated. And-"

"Stop that," Elliot interrupted her. "You're beautiful. And I really think you should go. It just might help put you relax and ease some of the stress you've been feeling. Could you promise me you'll think about at least?"

"Okay, okay," Olivia decided to change the subject. "So what did Casey want?"

Elliot cleared his throat. "To let us know the verdict came back on the Grady case."

"It did?" Olivia felt her heart begin to race. "Why didn't you call me sooner?"

"Because," Elliot explained. "I felt that you deserved to be told in person rather than hear it over the phone."

Olivia's heart began to beat faster. "Don't tell me they found him not guilty."

"Calm down, Liv," Elliot rubbed her shoulders. "Grady's not going anywhere. The jury found him guilty on all counts. He's getting the death penalty."

"Seriously?" Olivia couldn't believe her ears.

"Seriously," Elliot confirmed.

Olivia felt a tremendous weight being lifted of her shoulders. She felt like she could breathe a little easier. But at the same time, she still felt somewhat uneasy. Could really be over? Yes, the trial was finally done and over with, and Grady was getting the death penalty. But somehow, Olivia didn't feel as if it was truly over. Although, she did finally feel a sense of closure. Maybe she need more time to let it all sink in.

"Are you okay?" Elliot became concerned.

"I'm fine," Olivia nodded. "It's just...um..."

Her voice trailed off. She couldn't find the words to describe how she was feeling and what was going through her mind. But as always, Elliot seemed to able to read her thoughts.

"I understand," he kissed her forehead. "It's a lot to take in."

He noticed she was quieter than usual. So he thought he'd change the subject. Maybe if he could take her mind off that for a while, she would feel better.

"Listen," Elliot spoke gently. "Why don't we go up to the nursery for a little while? I still have to finish assembling the crib anyway. Want to keep me company?"

"Sure," Olivia replied quietly.

Together, they made their way upstairs to the nursery. The once white walls were painted a light lavender with a white trim. Along the top of the wall ran a border with pink flowers and lavender and pink butterflies. From both of the windows hung lavender and white plaid curtains with white ruffles at the ends. Under the corner window stood a dark cherry wood dresser that matched the unfinished dark cherry wood crib that stood beside it. On the other side of the crib sat a dark cherry wood rocking chair with a plush lavender cushion. And on the other side of the room next to the closet was a changing table fully stocked with diapers, baby wipes, lotion, powder, and many other things,

Elliot was tired of cutesy princess and pink rooms after raising three daughters, but Olivia still wanted the nursery to feel girly. So after going through countless websites and catalogs, they finally agreed on a lavender and pink butterfly theme. After getting Olivia settled in the rocking chair, Elliot grabbed a stool from the kitchen and continued to assemble the crib. He had assembled three of the four sides and was now working on assembling and attaching the mattress frame before attaching the fourth and final side. He paused a moment and glanced at Olivia, who was gently rocking back and forth in the rocking chair and rubbing her belly. She looked rather preoccupied. He noticed she'd been wearing that expression ever since he told her about the guilty verdict.

"Talk to me, Liv," Elliot put down his tools and turned to Olivia. "What's wrong?"

"I'm not sure," Olivia looked up at him. "I mean, I'm glad the jury found Grady guilty. It's a relief to know that the trial is finally over. But somehow it doesn't feel like this...whole mess is really over. I still have chunks of memory missing from what happened in Canada. What if I have a flashback while I'm changing the baby's diaper or giving her a bath or something like that? Not too mention I still have nightmares and night terrors from time to time. Do you know what I mean?"

"Yea, I do," Elliot understood exactly how she felt. "I still sometimes have nightmares about the explosion. And I wonder if I'm really ready for this baby. What if I become so overwhelmed that I snap and take it out on you or the baby or both of you?"

Olivia had been so wrapped up her own head lately that she'd almost forgotten that Elliot lost his family. She felt terrible about it. She stood up and put an arm around him.

"Oh, God, El," she apologized. "I'm so sorry. I didn't mean to imply-"

"It's alright," Elliot embraced her baby bump. "You've had a lot on your mind lately. And you may not have noticed, but you're doing much better. Your nightmares and night terrors are becoming less frequent. Just keep going to counseling and soon they'll stop all together."

"How about you?" Olivia questioned. "Are you still going to counseling?"

"Yep," Elliot nodded. "And my nightmares are also becoming less frequent."

"That's good," Olivia commented.

"You know what else helps me through?" Elliot looked up at her.

"What?" Olivia gazed into his sapphire blue eyes.

"You," he told her.

"Me?" she didn't understand.

"Yes, you," Elliot smiled. "You may not realize it, but you're much stronger than you think. You've come a long way, and everyday you get healthier and stronger. And your strength gives me strength."

"I'm only strong because I have you," Olivia lowered her head and kissed him sweetly.

"I have an idea," Elliot told her. "How about instead of individual counseling, we start going together? Maybe it just might help."

"I'd like that," Olivia smiled. "So are almost done with this thing? I want you to come to bed with me so I can spend the night laying in your arms."

"Almost," Elliot had just finished attaching the mattress frame. "Just have to put the mattress and bedding on. Then attach the final side."

"The bedding is in the closet," Olivia informed him. "I'll get them."

While Elliot put the mattress on the crib, Olivia went to the closet where she pulled out a bag containing lavender and pink butterfly bedding for the crib. Together, she and Elliot put the bedding on the mattress, starting with the skirt, then the fitted sheet, and lastly followed by a plush crib lining. When they finished, Elliot picked up the fourth and final side of the crib and attached it accordingly.

"And we are finished," Elliot said as he tested the front side of the crib, making sure it slid up and down properly. "What do you think? Did your man deliver or did your man deliver?"

"My man delivered!" Olivia grinned. "It's beautiful! But it's not finished yet."

"Huh?" Elliot was confused.

Olivia dug through the bag that held the bedding and pulled out one more thing. A mobile with pink and lavender butterflies. She handed it to Elliot who attached it to the crib.

"Now it's finished," Olivia said.

She and Elliot took a step back to admire the finished crib.

"I can't wait to watch her sleep in it," Olivia said with a dreamy expression.

"She'll sleep safe and sound in this," Elliot said, proudly. "I've built her a strong and solid crib."

As he tapped the side of the crib to show off his craftsmanship, two sides of the crib suddenly fell apart and collapsed to the ground.

"Oh, sure!" Olivia laughed. "Solid as a rock!"

"I can fix that," Elliot said, sheepishly.

He picked up the pieces and was about to reattach them, when he took notice of Olivia laughing. Instead he propped the pieces up against the wall.

"Why are you looking at me like that?" Olivia stopped laughing.

"I haven't heard you laugh like that in months," Elliot gazed lovingly at her. "It's nice to see you enjoying yourself."

"I haven't had a good enough reason to laugh before," Olivia told him.

Elliot stood up. "You know what? I can fix this later. Let's go to bed."

**Stay tuned! More exciting chapters to come soon! Please feel free to read and review!**


	25. Chapter 25

**I know it's been almost a year since I last update. And for that I apologize. I have a lot happen in the past year. I moved twice. I was sick for a while and even spent a few days in the hospital. And I had a lot of other stuff going on. But nevertheless, here's the latest chapter! Enjoy!**

**Location: SVU Squad Room.**

"Listen up guys!" Cragen called out to Elliot, Munch, and Fin. "Since tonight is the Policemans Ball, I'm letting you guys leave early. This is a once in a lifetime opportunity. So enjoy it while it lasts."

The detectives thanked their captain and began cleaning up their desks. Cragen closed up his office and exited the precinct. The three detectives began to talk among themselves.

"So, how's Liv?" Munch inquired.

"About to have a baby," Elliot replied. "But otherwise fine."

"Does that mean she's coming tonight?" asked Fin.

"Yes," Elliot answered. "She's gotten better since Grady's guilty verdict. I think it finally gave her the closure she needed. The doctor took her off bed rest. And it took a little sweet talking on my part, but I finally convinced her to go. I think it would do her and the baby some good."

"I agree," said a voice behind them.

The three of them turned around to see Dr. Huang sopping wet, holding a wet umbrella. "What are you doing here?" Munch asked.

Huang held up a file folder. "Cragen had me profile a suspect for the Anarchy rapist case. Your suspect didn't fit the profile, but I found a suspect that did. I looked him up in the FBI database and found a few red flags in his file."

"Cragen left already," Elliot told him. "And we're about to follow suit. Tonight's the Policemans Ball. I'll hang onto the file for now. I'll give it to him first thing tomorrow."

"That's fine with me," Huang handed Elliot the file. "Be careful out there tonight. It's really pouring down."

"Really?" Munch was a little surprised. "I thought Hurricane Warren wasn't supposed to hit us till sometime tomorrow night."

Huang shook his head. "It's just heavy rain. Warren is still south of here. I believe it's in the Maryland and D.C. area."

"Thanks for the heads up, doc," Fin put on his jacket and grabbed his keys. "I'm heading out! Munch, if you still want a ride home, you better move your bony ass!"

"I'm coming," Munch threw on his jacket. "See you at the party, Elliot."

"See you later," Elliot called back. He put the file into a drawer and locked it. Then he put the key in his jacket pocket.

Munch and Fin left the precinct. As Elliot readied himself to leave, he looked up and noticed Huang was still standing there beside him.

"Anything else I can do for you?" Elliot asked him, walking toward the elevators.

"Well," Huang said. "I heard you say Olivia was doing better. But what about you? Are you doing any better?"

Huang firmly pressed the down button in between the two elevators.

"Honestly," Elliot began. "I'm not sure. At first, I thought I was. I've been going to counseling. My nightmares stopped. And Liv has been very supportive. But lately, I started having nightmares again. Only they've changed."

"How so?" inquired Huang.

The elevator to the right of where they stood let out a ding. The doors swished as they swung open. Huang and Elliot stepped inside. Elliot first pressed the number 1 button for the first floor, then he pressed the button to shut the elevator doors. The doors immediately shut and the elevator slowly and quietly descended.

Elliot explained the nightmare about his family trapped in the burning house after the explosion. "But this time, it's Olivia and the baby trapped in the house instead of Kathy and the kids."

"It's natural to feel nervous about parenthood," Huang assured him. "Frankly, I'd be worried if you weren't nervous. Especially, after what you've been through. I'm sure Olivia is just as nervous. Have you talked to her about this?"

"No," Elliot shook his head. "I want Liv to focus on getting herself ready. This baby will be here before we know it, and I want what's left of this pregnancy to go as calmly and smoothly for her as possible."

"That's perfectly understandable," Huang told him. "But I still think you should talk to her. You wouldn't like it if she held something back from you, would you?"

Elliot hesitated for a moment. "No, I wouldn't. I guess you're right. I'll talk to her first thing tomorrow. Tonight, I just want her to have a little fun."

The elevators doors opened up to reveal the ground floor of the 16th precinct. Elliot and Huang stepped out of the elevator and proceeded to exit the building. "I hope you both have fun tonight," Huang smiled. "Now if you'll excuse me, I really have to get going before this rain gets any worse. Be careful out there tonight."

"Thanks, but I'm not scared of Hurricane Warren!" Elliot taunted. "He's nothing but an asshat!"

There they parted ways. Huang went about his business. And Elliot hopped in his car and drove home to Olivia and the baby. His family.

**Location: Benson/Stabler Residence. **

"I'm home!" Elliot called out.

He hung his jacket on the coat rack and his keys on the key hook.

"I'm upstairs!" Olivia called back.

Elliot walked upstairs to find a very pregnant Olivia in the bedroom, standing in front of a full length mirror doing her makeup. Her hair was done in smooth silky waves instead of the usual straight. She wore a floor length brown chiffon ruffle v-neck maternity gown. The back of the dress was still unzipped.

"Can you zip me up?" Olivia asked, as she added the finishing touches to her ensemble. Diamond teardrop earrings and matching necklace with one large diamond centered among a set of smaller diamond teardrops.

"Sure," Elliot zipped up her dress. "You look beautiful!"

He couldn't help but admire her. She looked like a goddess.

"Yeah right," Olivia said, sarcastically. "I'm huge and disgusting. I look like a cow. My feet are swollen and freakishly fat. I've changed my mind. I'm not going. They're all going to take one look at me and laugh."

She sat down on the bed and began to cry. Elliot sat down beside her and put an arm around her.

"You are beautiful," Elliot reminded her, handing her a tissue with his free hand. "And if anyone stares, which I'm sure everyone will, it'll only be because you look incredible."

"I guess I'm just scared," Olivia admitted. She dabbed at her eyes with the tissue. "My due date is approaching quickly. And I've been having new nightmares lately."

"New nightmares?" Elliot repeated.

Olivia nodded. "They always takes place after the baby is born. In some dreams, she's crying and nothing I do seems to console her. I'm at my wits end when I go into the kitchen to catch my breath. All the cabinet doors fly open and they're filled with alcohol, razors, prescription pain killers, rope, and there was even my gun sitting on the counter. And in other dreams, I would be rocking her to sleep in the rocking chair. And suddenly she would open her eyes. Except they were Grady's eyes. And she would speak to me in his voice, repeating the same things he said to me when he abducted me. I'd put the baby in her crib and tried to run out of the room, but the door would slam shut, locking me in. Meanwhile, his voice continued taunting me."

Elliot cupped her chin in his hands. "Grady is gone and will never hurt you again. And Granger is never getting out of jail. I know you're scared, but you need to give yourself a break. You've come too far to let yourself fall back. I'll always be here to catch you if you do fall. And I'll never let any harm come to you or the baby. And it'll take sometime, but I promise you things will continue to get better. Besides, it's natural to feel nervous about parenthood."

As Elliot found himself repeating Huang's words, he realized he would have to tell Olivia about his sooner than he anticipated.

"Did you feel this way when Kathy was pregnant?" Olivia asked him.

"Each and every time," Elliot admitted. "And I feel the same way now."

"You do?" Olivia was a little surprised. She imagined he would be used to the anxiety of impending parenthood.

Elliot nodded. Then he told her about his nightmares. As he spoke, Olivia began to feel a little better. It was nice to know she wasn't the only fearful one in their relationship. It was the first time in a long time Elliot talked about his family. Now she had to return the favor and make Elliot feel better. She had to be his rock the way he was hers.

"Look at me," Olivia embraced him and gazed into his sparkling sapphire eyes. "You are my rock. I've only made it this far because you've been there for me every step of the way. Including just now. By showing me that I'm not the only who's scared. You don't have to be strong all the time. It's okay to cry and miss your family."

"I really miss them," Elliot said, tears stinging his eyes. "So much it kills me sometimes. I think about them everyday. I guess I was just afraid that moving on with our new family would make me forget them."

"Oh, Elliot," Olivia kissed his tears. "They are still your family and always will be. Nothing will ever change that. I'd never let you forget them. And- Oooohh!"

Olivia held her belly with both her hands and began to breath steadily, inhaling deeply and exhaling.

"Liv!" Elliot became alarmed. He put his arms around her to keep her steady. "Are you okay? Is it time?"

Olivia inhaled deeply, then exhaled. "I'm fine. Just false labor pain. What are they called again? Those Braxton-Hicks things."

"Are you sure?" Elliot wasn't totally convinced.

"Yea," Olivia nodded. "It's already passing. See?" She steadied herself and stood up. "I've been having them a lot recently. Besides, I'm not due for a few more weeks. So are we going to this ball or what?"

"I thought you didn't want to go," Elliot was surprised.

"Well, I have a date," Olivia kissed him. "With this amazing guy who always there for me. And I hate to break it off and not be there for him."

"That's great," Elliot kissed her back. "Because I have a date with this beautiful woman who doesn't realize how incredible she is. And that makes me want to be a better man."

After a few more kisses and sweet words, Elliot took a shower and put on his best suit. A black tuxedo covering a white collared shirt and baby blue button down vest and tie. Meanwhile, Olivia refreshed her makeup and her hair. When they were finished, they took a look at each other "Wow!" Elliot grinned, captivated by Olivia's beauty. "You look even more beautiful, if that's even possible!"

"You don't look so bad yourself," Olivia straightened his tie. "I love it when you wear blue. It brings out your eyes."

She gazed into his deep crystal blue eyes and kissed him. Elliot wrapped his arms around her and kissed her back.

"I love you," Elliot pressed his forehead to hers and became lost in her amber brown eyes.

"I love you too," Olivia replied, not taking her eyes off his. Olivia never felt happier than she did now.

She couldn't wait to have their baby and become a family. Elliot must've realized it too, because he had never seen Olivia glow or look more beautiful than she did tonight. He too couldn't wait for them to become a family.

Finally, after even more kisses and sweet talk, they grabbed their coats and readied themselves to leave. Once they were outside, Elliot locked the front door. The rain was coming down rather steadily now. So he quickly helped Olivia into the front passenger seat of the car. Then he got into the driver's side and buckled himself in. As he put the key into the ignition, the car roared to life, sputtered, then stopped completely.

"That's odd," Elliot looked puzzled.

He turned the key in the ignition. Once again the car turned on, sputtered and stopped completely. So he removed the key from the ignition, reinserted it again, and started the car again. The same thing happened again.

"Must be something wrong with the transmission," Elliot guessed. "Or maybe the spark plug. Probably acquired moisture from this rain. Either way we're not going anywhere until I take a look under the hood."

"Don't try to fix it now," Olivia insisted.

"Why not?" Elliot asked.

"Because," she replied. "You'll get all wet and dirty. You'll ruin your suit. Why don't we just take the train? The closest station is only a block away."

"Okay," he agreed. "Only if you feel you're up to it."

So it was settled. Elliot took out his cell phone and called Cragen to let him know they were running a little late and would be taking the train. Then he and Olivia went back in the house and grabbed their umbrellas. As they walked to the station, Elliot held both umbrellas while Olivia held up her dress just enough so the bottom of it would not get wet and ruined. Slowly, but surely, they arrived at the station with both of their outfits in tact.

The train station platform was above ground. They had to walk up a flight of stairs then swipe their Metro cards to get onto the platform. Once they made it up there, Elliot found Olivia a dry seat on a nearby bench under the platform awning. To no one's great surprise, the platform was practically empty. As Olivia sat and rested her feet, Elliot shook out the rain water from their umbrellas, then sat down next to her and waited for the train.

Within minutes, the D train arrived and they boarded. Luckily, they found seats in an empty car. But they were fairly certain the car wouldn't stay empty for long. It would most likely fill up as they neared the city. Elliot and Olivia sat and stared out the window watching the scenery change from station to station. They noticed not too many people boarded, probably because of the rain. Their car remained empty, except for the two of them. The scenery turned to blackness when the train descended underground after the fourth station.

But they didn't get much further. Two more stops later and the train stalled for a moment, then began to move again. Then suddenly, it stopped, making the car lurch forward with such strength, Elliot and Olivia nearly fell out of their seats. The lights went out and the entire car was pitch black.

"Are you okay?" Elliot inquired.

He sat her up straight and put an arm around her to keep her steady.

"Yea, I'm fine," Olivia replied, a little flustered. "What the hell just happened?"

Suddenly, the auxiliary lights came on, but the train did not move.

"I don't know," Elliot shrugged.

Once he was sure Olivia was alright, Elliot stood up and peered out the windows on either side of the train car. It was too dark too see anything, yet the train remained motionless. Maybe if he opened the door he would be able to see a little better. Or maybe hear something.

"Do you see anything?" asked Olivia.

"Nope," Elliot answered. "I'm going to open the door and have a better look."

"Alright," Olivia said. "But be careful."

"I will," Elliot promised.

He walked to the end of the car and pulled open the door. In front of him, he could see the adjacent car. At first, he saw nothing, but he heard moving water, which he guessed was the rain. Perhaps from a nearby sewage drain. The glow from the auxiliary lights gave just enough light so he could see the ground beneath his feet. Below was rain water almost covering the wheels of the train. Elliot guessed it was maybe about two feet deep, more or less. The sound he heard was not from a sewage drain, but below his feet. The tunnel was flooded and Elliot was sure the water would rise.

"Um, Liv?" he said, his eyes fixed on the slowly rising water. "We have a problem."

"What is it?" Olivia became worried.

"The rain water is flooding the tunnel," Elliot told her.

"Oh, my God!" Olivia cried. "But I thought Hurricane Warren wasn't due to hit us till tomorrow night."

Olivia stood up to see for herself, but sat right back down when a sharp pain shot through her lower back. Then the pain slowly moved forward to her lower abdomen. She'd never had a Braxton-Hicks contraction this strong before. Could this be the real thing? She wasn't due for a few more weeks. So it had to be false. Right?

"I guess he changed his mind," Elliot said. "Either way, it looks like we're going to be here for a while."

"Ohhhh!" Olivia moaned in pain from her contraction.

"Don't worry, Liv," he assured her. "It can't get any worse than this."

She felt her contraction began to ease and she started to relax. She stood and took a step toward Elliot. But suddenly, she felt a soft pop followed by a gush of fluid in her lower abdomen. She looked down just in time to see warm fluid rush down from between her legs.

"El?" Olivia called out. "It just got worse."

"What?" Elliot became alarmed.

Elliot shut the door and spun around. Standing there behind him was Olivia with a large puddle of water surrounding her feet.

She looked up at him with pleading eyes. "My water just broke."

**Stay tuned! More exciting chapters to come! Please feel free to read and review!**


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